LEMOYNE, Penn., April 24, 2008 – A stint in Vietnam and a short-term medical trip years later inspired orthopedic surgeon and businessman Dr. Scott Harrison to devote his “second life” to healing the world’s poorest disabled children. Since pursuing his vision, he has helped more than 650,000 children and has developed an aggressive strategy to reach millions more.

Twelve years ago, Harrison founded CURE International, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing medical care for poor children suffering from common but treatable congenital disorders and disabilities, such as clubfoot and cleft lip or palate. Today, CURE is the largest provider of specialty surgical care in the developing world with nine hospitals around the world, four more planned to open by 2009 and a vision to eradicate clubfoot globally.

“CURE seeks to help children, families and communities understand that they no longer have to let a disability determine their destiny,” Harrison says, noting there are more than 350 million physically disabled children in the world today of which forty percent can be cured.

Harrison’s idea for CURE began in 1998 after he and his wife Sally, a nurse, traveled to Malawi on a medical trip. They realized they could make a difference for poor, disabled children in countries where skilled medical care is lacking or nonexistent.

“My wife and I saw first-hand the devastating need for specialized children’s medical care in Africa,” said Harrison. “We knew that if we pooled our knowledge and resources, we could play a part in the life transformation for so many children and their families.”

Harrison is exceedingly thankful for the support he has received from his wife whom he credits as developing CURE’s holistic approach to treating children, focusing on physical and spiritual social healing. “I do not think I could have stayed the course without Sally by my side,” he adds.

Before establishing CURE, Harrison worked as an orthopedic surgeon for 26 years, providing him with the medical expertise to start such an organization. He later served as president and CEO of Kirschner Medical Corporation, where he gained the business experience and funding necessary to run CURE. Harrison also admits that it was his year of medical service in Vietnam which first inspired his desire to help suffering people in Third World countries.

Today, CURE remains focused on providing First World health care in Third World countries which includes hospitals or programs in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Honduras, Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, United Arab Emirates and Zambia. By building teaching hospitals that train national medical professionals in advanced techniques, CURE helps build a community’s infrastructure, thereby raising the standard of health care and improving the overall quality of life in the countries they serve.

As CEO, Harrison no longer performs surgeries, but focuses on keeping CURE on track and on mission. He also has an ambitious vision for CURE – to continue establishing teaching hospitals around the world and to eradicate the deformity clubfoot from the planet. If the future is indicative of past success, Harrison just might reach his goal.

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