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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
HONORING AND RECOGNIZING DAR SERCA (GIFT FROM THE HEART)
WHEREAS, Dar Serca is a non-profit organization, based in Schiller Park, that provides help to disabled children, mostly from abroad, so they can receive medical treatments from the highest quality clinics in the United States; and
WHEREAS, Dar Serca founder Izabela Rybak experienced the lack of assistance in modern medical care for disabled children when there was a shortage of medical treatments for her son in her hometown of Otwock, Poland; and
WHEREAS, in 1985, Izabela's husband came to America searching for medical assistance and financial quotes for cerebral palsy treatments for their son, eventually finding help from Shriners Hospital in Chicago; and
WHEREAS, the multiple surgeries and extensive care their son required prompted Izabela and her husband to seek permanent residency so they could care for their son and bring their two daughters to Cook County; and
WHEREAS, in 1986, shortly after her arrival to the U.S., Izabela met the parents of two children suffering from the same disability as her son and she provided guidance in compiling the necessary information and filling out the paperwork; and
WHEREAS, on November 23,1988, Dar Serca, Polish for Gift from the Heart, was established and has since been a beacon of hope for children from abroad to come the U.S. to receive high quality medical care, including life-saving surgery and medical treatments unavailable in their home countries and at no cost to the families; and
WHEREAS, in 2009, a state-of-the-art living facility was built in Schiller Park to provide a comfortable environment for the children and their families or guardians before, during, and after the surgeries and medical treatments; and
WHEREAS, last year, 46 children from abroad where under the care of Dar Serca, a total cost of over $230, 000; and
WHEREAS, for more than 30 years, the work of Dar Serca is made possible with help from the community...
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