About Us

For more than 30 years, Save a Child’s Heart has provided free cardiac care to children in need at their state-of-the-art facilities in Israel, offered free advanced training to doctors, nurses, and technicians in developing nations to equip them to build sustainable care in their home countries, and conducted medical missions in over 75 countries to raise the level of pediatric heart care around the world.

Dr. Amram (Ami) Cohen was born and raised in Washington, DC, and received his medical degree from the University of Virginia and trained in the US Army at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. While on a tour of duty in Korea in 1988, Ami was introduced to Harriet Hodges, a woman who was helping Korean children suffering from heart disease receive medical care. She implored him to use his skills to treat them—and so, with permission from the army, he began performing surgery.

The program they developed sowed the seeds for what would become Ami’s life’s work. After immigrating to Israel from the United States in 1992, Ami joined the staff of the Wolfson Medical Center in Holon, Israel.

Save a Child’s Heart was born in 1995 when an Ethiopian doctor contacted Ami after being referred to him by a mutual friend. He asked for Ami’s help with two children—Helene and Abdul—who were in desperate need of heart surgery.

Ami said yes.

As soon as Ami had obtained approval from the hospital, he organized flights for the children to Israel, checked them into the hospital, successfully repaired their hearts, and then housed them in his home during their recovery.

Soon other staff members at Wolfson Medical Center came alongside Ami in this new humanitarian endeavor, and before long they were bringing in children from all over the world who were in desperate need of cardiac care that was not available in their home countries.

Following Ami’s sudden and tragic death in Kilimanjaro in 2001, his associates at the Wolfson Medical Center rallied and vowed to continue the mission of Save a Child’s Heart in his honor.

Meet some of the many leaders who ensure that the humanitarian activity of saving children’s lives continues.