FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ronald McDonald House Charities awards grant to Detroit2 Nepal Foundation and Beaumont Children’s Hospital Pediatric Rehabilitation Bike Program

The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southeastern Michigan and national Ronald McDonald House Charities have awarded grants totaling $15,300 to support the Detroit2Nepal Foundation and Beaumont Children’s Hospital’s Pediatric Rehabilitation Bike Program.

The D2N Foundation was created by Beaumont Health System surgical oncologist Richard Keidan, M.D., to fund health and educational projects for children in remote villages in Nepal.

Through its fundraising efforts, D2N also supports Beaumont Children’s Hospital’s Pediatric Rehabilitation Bike Program, which provides free, custom adaptive bikes for special needs children. Each bike is personalized to the child’s physical needs and helps to further their rehabilitation, while allowing them to enjoy the fun and freedom of bike riding. The bikes can cost up to $3,500 – unaffordable for most families.

Beaumont’s Bike Day program is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Since it began in 2004, a total of 446 free bikes valued at more than $632,000 have been presented to area children, with major fundraising support by Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

“We are extremely grateful for the generosity of the Ronald McDonald House Charities,” says Deborah Adsit, supervisor, Pediatric Rehabilitation, Beaumont Children’s Hospital. “Their donation will enable at least nine more children to receive an adapted bike and experience the joy of bike riding this summer.”

The Ronald McDonald House Charities is dedicated to improving the quality of children’s lives worldwide. The organization helps young people lead healthier, happier and more productive lives by funding programs in the areas of health care and medical research; education and the arts; and social and civic concerns.

The Detroit2Nepal Foundation is a nonprofit organization that provides educational scholarships and health education programs and builds toilet facilities for waste management in remote Himalayan villages in Nepal.

“Thanks to the generosity of Ronald McDonald House Charities, D2N is also able to support wonderful programs such as Bike Day and continue to enrich the lives of children in the Detroit area,” says Dr. Keidan.

Dr. Keidan’s work in Nepal began in 2009 when he met Namgyal Sherpa during a trip to Kanchenjunga. The following summer he went to Namgyal’s home area of Khotang and observed the compromised state of public health, health care and education in these villages. It was then that D2N was born. He now spends about three months a year initiating and monitoring the Foundation’s projects in Nepal.

For more information on D2N, contact Dr. Keidan at 248-318-4779.