Last year I was in Israel celebrating the 25th anniversary of BBR Saatchi & Saatchi at the Peres Centre for Peace. The team are working on cracking The Impossible Brief – bringing peace to Israel and Palestine after more than 60 years of conflict. While creative minds are working to achieve something monumental, a New Zealand surgeon has been recognized for his contribution in this difficult situation. Dr Alan Kerr volunteers to save the lives of children in Palestine, leading more than 25 surgery visits to Palestinian hospitals over the past 11 years. Dr. Kerr is credited with saving the lives of 600 children within the region with life-threatening cardiac disorders.
As a volunteer of the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, Dr. Kerr has also been instrumental in building the only paediatric cardiac surgery program to serve Palestinian children locally. Last week he received Palestine’s highest award, the Medal of Honour, from Palestinian National Authority President, Mahmoud Abbas. I join Palestine in applauding Dr. Kerr for his life-saving efforts. It’s great to see the efforts of one of the world’s unsung heroes being recognized – Dr. Kerr is a wonderful example of how we can all make the world a better place by simply Doing One Thing.
