Instructions/Important Information

Parents/Guardians seeking medical care assistance for their child must read and carefully follow these instructions. In many instances care “is” available in the child’s country but the parents simply “want” the child to be treated abroad. We can “only” help in those cases where there is “no” medical care available in the child’s native country. The child's pediatrician must write a letter on his/her letterhead stating there is no medical care available to treat the child’s medical condition and MUST specifically request tertiary care abroad.  Questions? Email: ICMFHope@Aol.Com

The following is a list of requirements that must be met and documents needed. We suggest that you print out this list and as you have fulfilled each requirement and/or have each needed document in hand, simply put a check mark in the space provided by each item:

_______Certified Copy of child’s birth certificate

_______Certified Copy of child’s passport and later, when issued, copy of the visa.

_______Pix of child (i.e., passport size/close-up)

_______Pix of child with mother; one must be close up to see faces and the other with full body view.

_______Certified Copy of mother’s passport and later, when issued, a copy of the visa.

_______Current Blood Test

_______Sickle Cell Test Results

_______ HIV Test Results

We only allow the mother (if not deceased) to accompany the child to receive his/her needed medical care.

_______Letter from child’s Pediatrician, on pediatrician’s letterhead, stating, in detail, the child’s medical condition. We must have a copy of all medical tests, i.e., EKG, echocardiogram, x-rays, etc. We cannot accept just the ‘reading’ of these tests, rather a copy of the test ‘along with’ the readings.

_______Letter from child’s Pediatrician, on letterhead, stating the child’s inoculations are up to date. We must have a copy of the child’s vaccination records emailed with application form.  Originals must be hand carried when child enters U.S.

_______Letter from child’s Pediatrician, on letterhead, stating the child has no communicable diseases. Copy sent via email attachment and original hand carried with child.

_______Letter from child’s Pediatrician, on letterhead, stating the child is medically able to fly and will not need in-flight medical assistance. Copy sent via email attachment and original hand carried with child.

_______We would also need to have an email address for the parents. Sometimes parents have one, or there is one at a friends/relative or perhaps the father’s workplace.

_______We would also need to know the names/address (etc) of the extended family members in the U.S. Unless the extended family members are located in the city where the child’s medical care is rendered it is very unlikely that they will be of any post operative care value to this child as heart patients have to stay very near their medical care givers until release from same. At that time ICMF ensures that they return home.

_______We would further need to know if the parents are prepared to accept medical care “wherever” we can get it at no cost to the U.S. taxpayer.We’ve had parents who have insisted that their child’s medical care be given in a certain city because they had extended family members in that city and refused to allow their child to be treated across the U.S., away from these extended family members. Unfortunately, we were unable to help the families with such demands.       

________ Papaya Seeds - When a child enters a U.S. medical care giving center one of the 'first' tests given is one to ascertain if the child is carrying any kind of internal parasites. Papaya seeds are one of nature's "best" to rid the body of "any" kind of internal parasites. Thus, for all of our patients that live in a country where papaya's grow and/or are accessible we ask that the child is given one tablespoon of papaya seeds per day for 10 days prior to flight departure. These seeds have a spicy taste. Some children have no problem simply chewing them. Some parents have to crush/grind the seeds and mix them with the child's food. For parents that have access to a blender or food processor the seeds blended with milk make a tasty drink. We ask the parents to be creative, just do what must be done to get their child to take these seeds. Doing so will eliminate expensive testing . . . and save a lot of money!

A CLOSE UP PHOTO MUST BE TAKEN WITH WILL GIVE A FACE VIEW OF CHILD (i.e., Passport) AND, WHERE APPROPRIATE, CLOSE UP PHOTOS SHOWING MEDICAL PROBLEM FOR WHICH ASSISTANCE IS SOUGHT. IF THE MEDICAL PROLEM IS AN 'INTERNAL' ONE, (i.e., Heart), WE MUST HAVE X-RAYS, EKG AND IT'S READING AS WELL AS ECHOCARDIOGRAM AND IT'S READING. READINGS ALONG WILL 'NOT' SUFFICE; WE MUST HAVE THE ACTUAL EKG AND ECHOCARDIOGRAM. WE MUST ALSO HAVE A CURRENT BLOOD TEST, SICKLE CELL TESTS AND HIV TEST RESULTS.

Once we receive the above referenced forms/letters/test results (etc) we can begin working the case, making no promises other than to do our very best. Thus far, over the years, we have been successful in all cases where we’ve had full cooperation from the parent(s)/guardian(s).