http://www.heatheronearth.org/media/matters.html

The new program will be part of the Winthrop Child Life Program which works to minimize children’s anxiety and fear during their hospital experience. As AnnMarie DiFrancesca, Director of Winthrop’s Child Life Program explains, “The addition of a music therapy program will provide a unique alternative coping mechanism through which children may express their emotions, cope with their illness, and master their own hospital experience.”

The Heather on Earth Music Foundation is grateful to be able to provide this service, thanks to their many donors including Corey Ribotsky and others.

At the moment, they have more than 800 scientists and investigators conducting research in a wide range of medical fields from pediatrics and oncology to genetics and psychiatry. The Health System, including Board of Trustee members such as Corey Ribotsky, believes in the medical work that they are doing and support their endeavors wholeheartedly.

Sunrise Day Camp is the only camp in the country that is dedicated exclusively to children with cancer and their siblings. Children between the ages of 3.5 and 16 can enjoy fun and friendship free of charge as a result of the fundraising efforts and generous contributions made my so many in the community.

The evening will include an open bar, dinner, a D.J. and dancing and a great auction.

In utero, the baby’s condition, known as CHAOS (Congenital High Airway Obstruction Syndrome) was detected during a prenatal exam at LIJ. The baby’s airway failed to develop, and doctors ended up inducing birth at 36 weeks and surgically creating an air passage for the baby while he was still attached to the placenta.

This happy ending is one example of the exceptional work that the North Shore/LIJ University Health System can take credit for with the contributions and support from people like Corey Ribotsky who is on the Board of Trustees.

Presently, CMF is hoping to expand in many ways. They are hoping to build a dedicated pediatric emergency center so that they will no longer have to share an emergency room with Long Island Jewish Medical Center. At the moment, seriously ill children need to go to Long Island Jewish, unnecessarily exposing them to illnesses and issues common to an adult facility.

In addition, the Children’s Medical Fund of New York is hoping to create a new space to meet the growing pediatric needs of children in the area. At present, the Schneider Children’s Hospital, which was built to accommodate 40,000 annual visits, actually sees 160,000 children a year.

The Chairman of the NIR Group, Corey Ribotsky, explained that, “Litigation is a last resort for our family of funds. We are encouraged by the progress that Mr. Schmidt (CEO of Cyberlux) and the Cyberlux team have made and we support their efforts to develop Cyberlux’s business.”

Mark Schmidt, the Chief Executive Officer of Cyberlux remarked, “We are pleased to conclude the litigation. Cyberlux will now be able to devote its full resources to developing and marketing its state-of-the-art lighting solutions.”

Cyberlux is a major provider of LED lighting solutions and technologies.

Volunteers, such as Corey Ribotsky who is the current President of CMF and the managing member of NIR, and donors help children to live healthier, safer lives.

One major project that CMF is undertaking at the moment is the creation of a new space to meet the region’s growing demands for pediatric services. Their present building, the Schneider Children’s Hospital (SCH) was built in 1983 and was supposed to accommodate 40,000 annual visits. Today, it accommodates four times that amount!

Through his support of the Heather on Earth Music Foundation, Corey Ribotsky, as the managing member of the NIR Group of Roslyn, New York, helps relieve some of the fear, pain and suffering of seriously ill children and their families.

Because music reaches into the inner being of people, including children, music is able to inspire, relax, calm and distract the consciousness so that peace can be experienced.
Not only does this help pediatric patients emotionally to better cope with their situation, this inner peace can strengthen the immune system, decrease the perception of pain, reduce anxiety and improve cooperation with medical procedures and care givers.

The gift of music that Heather on Earth bestows, with the much needed and appreciated support it receives from Corey Ribotsky and the NIR Group, is a true gift which improves the quality life of children and their families.