Thrift store raises thousands for medical program

When folks in Sisters visit the CardioStart Resale in the Three Wind Shopping Center, they find quality clothing and other items at very attractive prices. And every dollar they spend reverberates across the world.

The shop, which opened in November 2011, has raised thousands of dollars to support CardioStart, an international humanitarian organization dedicated to assisting children and adults with heart disease. CardioStart founder Dr. Aubyn Marath said that the store raised $7,000 in each of the past two quarters alone.

The funds raised at the Sisters store support a database that tracks patients in the countries in which CardioStart operates worldwide, including Brazil; Vietnam; Uganda; Peru; the Dominican Republic; and Ghana. Work will soon be underway in Myanmar and India. Students manage the database to track performance, outcomes and long-term status of patients. Not all patients who are assessed require immediate surgery, Dr. Marath notes. The database keeps track of them so that if and when their condition requires intervention, they are still "on the radar."

"It's a collaborative enterprise," Dr. Marath said. "Its reach is international in a very positive way."

Dr. Marath's reaching out to the local community as well. He has started Excalibur Medical in Sisters to serve people who otherwise may not have ready access to care.

"I was particularly concerned about the uninsured, they under-insured ... and particularly those who have high deductibles," Dr. Marath said.

Such people, the doctor said, often delay or decline to seek medical care because they are worried about taking an unsustainable financial hit.

Excalibur Medical is located at 392 W. Main Ave. Call 541-719-1772 for more information.

Shari Maguire, Joanna Goertzen, Terry Stohl and Kurt Lidtke volunteer with CardioStart Resale. Dr. Marath credits Maguire and Goertzen's skill at artfully presenting the items for sale for a degree of the store's success.

"Shari and her colleagues have done an amazing job," said Dr. Marath. "I've been very impressed as an outsider looking in, which is really what I am, here."

For her part, Maguire thanks the Sisters community - locals and visitors alike.

"They're very supportive," she said. "If it wasn't for Sisters, we couldn't do it."

The program has a major impact across the globe, supporting healthcare systems that struggle to provide adequate care in life-or-death situations.

CardioStart maintains fully functioning, transportable equipment for the performance of pediatric and adult heart operations and supports other surgical and medical specialties to function effectively. In assisting hospitals with varying levels of development, with each visit, attention is given to carefully matching donations according to the local specific needs.

In addition to the countries mentioned above, CardioStart has provided assistance in Albania; Bolivia; Croatia; Egypt; El Salvador; Guatemala; Haiti; Honduras; Iran; Iraq; Jordan; Jamaica; Kurdistan; Nicaragua; Pakistan; Palestine; Peru; Rumania; Serbia; and Ukraine.

For more information on CardioStart visit http://www.cardiostart.org. CardioStart Resale is open seven days a week on the west side of the Three Wind Shopping Center. For more information call 541-549-6105.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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