Andrew Sabin

“Of particular significance is our concern for the earth’s natural resources.”

Andy Sabin, chairman of the successful Sabin Metal Corporation,

does more than simply provide financial support to hundreds of organizations. He is actively engaged with community and environmental programs around the world. He spearheaded the building of a community recreation center in East Hampton, NY. As an extension of his lifelong fascination with reptiles and amphibians and his dedication to environmental education, he founded the South Fork Natural History Museum in Bridgehampton and he continues to lead nature walks for the institution. Mr. Sabin also participated in an expedition to Papua, New Guinea, that resulted in the discovery of a new species of frog that is named for him: Aphantophryne sabini.

Mr. Sabin has served for several years on the Environmental Law Advisory Boards of Columbia Law School and UCLA School of Law, relationships that began through his role as treasurer of The Evan Frankel Foundation, which made grants of more than $17 million during its 15-year existence. Mr. Sabin is also proud to be a member of the Board of Visitors of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas since 2005.

In 2007, to provide more professional support for his philanthropy and involve his family in charitable giving, he established the Andrew Sabin Family Foundation.

Andy’s passions are his family, the environment, bicycling and fishing.

Photo: Rob Rich

Dr. David Adams

„I BELIEVE MY GREATEST STRENGTH IS THE EXPERT TEAM OF VALVULAR SPECIALISTS I ASSEMBLED…”

Dr. David Adams is a cardiac surgeon who graduated from Duke University in 1983. To date, he has performed approximately 6,000 cardiac surgeries, of which 4,000 involved heart valve procedures. He is Chairman of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Mount Sinai where he and his team created the Mitral Valve Repair Reference Center to handle operations with a complex valve or etiology. With a 99% repair rate for mitral valve disease they have set a national benchmark.

Outside the operating room, his personal focus is on research and training surgeons. He is the author of over 200 publications and holds three patents. In 2009, he founded the Mitral Foundation, a non-profit organization which educates patients and cardiologists about mitral valve repair vs. replacement, provides training for surgeons, performs medical missions in developing countries, and supports the development of mitral valve repair reference centers. The Mitral Foundation Center, a cornerstone of the Mitral Foundation, was made possible by funding from the JAF Foundation in 2012.

Photo: source AATS 2019

Dr. h. c. Erika Sailer

„HELP FOR SELF-HELP. THAT’S ALWAYS OUR
NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.”

Erika Sailer was born in Germany and completed medical training as qualified physiotherapist. She founded and then managed one of the first rehabilitation centers in Hannover for more than 25 years. It was in Switzerland that she met her later husband Prof. Dr. Sailer. 

Since Erika was quiet familiar with India and the large number of cleft children there, she motivated Hermann to travel the country and help these deformed children by operating. And her husband not only set out to perform multiple surgeries, but also started to train doctors and surgeons to use the special techniques required to spread the good work.

In 2002 the couple had the chance to present their initiative in India on a health program on swiss TV. Overwhelmed by the positive feedback and the inrush of donations, they resolved to set up the Cleft Children Foundation and have never looked back since. Despite great difficulties Erika managed to get the first two children, Ranga und Carla, to Switzerland to undergo surgery there. Today Ranga is a massage therapist in the surgery center in Bangalore.

Erika’s first impulse to help children has improved the lives of literally thousands of them. More than 128,000 cleft children have been treated and 468 surgeons have since been trained and are practicing in Cleft Centers around the world.

Erika founded the Cleft-School project to make certain the young foster children have a place to stay, regular meals, a roof over their heads – and get an education. A lot of the deformed children are subjected to abuse or hidden away because their families perceive them as a disgrace. The school thus provides a home and cares for about 60 boys and 30 girls.

Photo: Sailer clinic