Littauer’s Dr. James Anania, volunteers time to help children overcome a lifetime of stigma

Dr. James Anania will travel to Vietnam to help perform surgeries on children with isolating injuries and deformities.

Dr. James Anania an Anesthesiologist at Nathan Littauer will be leaving forVietnam January 4, 2012 as a volunteer for the NGOs (Non Governmental Organization) Smile Train and ReSurge International. He will be assisting people -especially children who need surgery. When not at the Surgery Center at Nathan Littauer Hospital, he frequently volunteers his time to travel to under served areas throughout the world. This is his third trip for the organization. He has also traveled to Peru. “Dr. Anania has traveled to some of the most economically-challenged countries in the world to help deliver surgeries.” stated Mr. Laurence E. Kelly, Littauer’s CEO and President. He added, “I know he will be working under exhausting conditions to transform lives. We are immensely proud of Dr. Anania’s contributions to our region and to the world.

Dr. Anania is part of ReSurge International (formerly Interplast). The organization works with Smile Train and other NGO’s “to restore the health and dreams to children and adults with deformities and injuries (such as disabling burns and clefts) so they can go to school, return to work to care for their families and be productive members of society. They also build surgical capacity in underserved areas to increase year-round access to surgical care. ReSurge mission is to reduce global suffering and poverty by giving more and more patients a second chance for a normal, productive life.”Dr. Anania states that despite the exhausting schedule and challenging setting, he feels truly rewarded when he meets the patients and their grateful families. He explains, “The family members are very appreciative. This is truly life-changing. These kids tend to be ostracized and these surgeries are a new lease on life for them.”

An avid photographer, Dr. Anania will be taking pictures of his journey which will be posted on the hospital’s Facebook site. He summarizes, “I like to do this. This is where medicine can change a person’s life. And these are extremely poor people.” He added, “I am satisfied to know that I played a direct role in changing somebody’s life.”

Dr. Anania is expected to return to Nathan Littauer January 21, 2013.