Spanish
Santo Domingo.- The Dominican ex-baseball player David Ortiz received this Friday the 2025 Humanitarian Award (original title in English) awarded by The Trust For The Americas (institution affiliated with the Organization of American States (OAS)) for his work leading a foundation dedicated to helping children with heart problems.
Ortiz founded the organization "David Ortiz Children's Fund" almost two decades ago after an inspiring visit to a Dominican hospital in 2005 where infants who had just undergone heart surgery were located.You may be interested in: Dominican Republic presents its model to block signals in prisons at the OAS
Since then, the former baseball player's organization has helped perform more than 1,600 pediatric cardiac surgeries and has supported 16,000 children with health problems in the Dominican Republic and New England (United States). In the award ceremony, organized by the OAS and the Dominican Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Dominican capital, the director of The Trust For The Americas, Linda Eddleman, highlighted Ortiz's "commitment to young people who need urgent medical attention." "Through 'David Ortiz Children's Fund' thousands of families have received support in very difficult times. This work offers hope and hope is the most important thing you can offer," he indicated. Likewise, Eddleman emphasized that this recognition has only been awarded on four previous occasions in the 28 years that the organization has been in existence. "We reserve it for people whose work truly changes lives and leaves a mark," she added. "David, this recognition is a thank you for your humanitarian work and for the many lives you have changed. Thank you for reminding us that when someone decides to help, that effort can transform the future of many families," he affirmed. In his speech, Ortiz thanked God and the OAS for the award and indicated that "he did not expect so much". "The work through my foundation I've always called the real home runs," said the former Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins player. Ortiz reviewed the beginnings of his organization, which was born after a visit to the Centro de Diagnóstico Medicina Avanzada y Telemedicina (Cedimat), in Santo Domingo, which he made after the insistence of a friend. "When I went to this hospital and saw the conditions of two children who were (in a room) semi-operated, without resources... That was very shocking for me. It touched me in a way that few things have touched me," he reflected. "I decided to start with this foundation and it has been something that has changed many lives," she said. Likewise, Ortiz defended Dominican migration to the United States, among whom "there are many good, noble, hardworking people with very good principles." "(Dominicans) we are going to have the opportunity to live in the United States and we want to do it well to put our family in a better and different situation," he indicated. For his part, the Dominican Republic's chancellor, Roberto Álvarez, highlighted that the work of the former baseball player with his foundation with which he has helped children with heart problems "have a normal life." "One of the highlights of the Dominican Republic internationally has been having figures of your caliber. You have always carried in your heart that Dominican spirit and joy," defended the Dominican leader.
