WHAT:
UCLA Medical Center
and Brooke Army
Medical Center
(San Antonio, TX)
announce a new collaborative project, "Operation Mend," to help provide
reconstructive plastic surgery to several Armed Service personnel wounded
during service in Iraq and Afghanistan. U.S. Marine Cpl. Aaron P. Mankin, 25, is the
first "wounded warrior" to participate in the program. Mankin will undergo the first major stage of
facial reconstructive surgery on Oct. 2 at UCLA. The Katz Family Foundation is supporting all
non-covered costs, such as travel and housing during treatment. A UCLA nurse, also a former military nurse,
will present a "quilt of valor"—a military tradition—to Mankin handmade by a
volunteer group of former military personnel.
WHO:
- Amir Dan
Rubin, C.O.O., UCLA
Medical Center
- Ronald A. Katz, The
Katz Family Foundation
- Cpl. Aaron P. Mankin, United States
Marine injured in Iraq
- Lance
Corporal Marine Diana Mankin, and Maddie, 8 months, Mankin's wife and daughter
- Dr. Timothy Miller, professor and
chief of plastic surgery, UCLA MedicalCenter
- Patti Taylor, UCLA nurse and former
military nurse
WHEN:
12 p.m., Monday,
Oct. 1.
WHERE:
UCLA Tiverton House, 900
Tiverton Ave., Westwood, 90024, (corner of Le
Conte and Tiverton).
BACKGROUND:
UCLA advisory board
member and philanthropist Ronald Katz helped forge a unique pilot program
between UCLA Medical Center
and Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) to help bring wounded warriors to UCLA
for reconstructive surgery.
Dr. Timothy Miller,
chief of plastic and reconstructive surgery at UCLA will lead the surgeries.
Patients and their families will stay at the UCLA Tiverton House during their
medical treatment, and the Katz Family Foundation is funding all uncovered
costs involved in this program. Future
plans include for additional BAMC patients to be identified for surgery and travel
to UCLA when they are medically ready.
MEDIA CONTACTS: Amy Albin or Roxanne Moster, UCLA Health Sciences Media
Relations, (310) 794-0777.
PARKING: Underground parking is located on site, enter lot
off of Tiverton. Oversized news vehicles can park next door at the
Westwood Hills Christian Church, 10808 Le Conte, Westwood, 90024.
-UCLA-