※ [本文轉錄自 NBA 看板] 作者: JokePtt () 看板: NBA 標題: [外電] Elmiran joined NBA star at hospital opening in Congo 時間: Thu Jul 26 12:26:13 2007 Elmiran joined NBA star at hospital opening in Congo July 24, 2007 StoryChat Post Comment John P. Cleary NBA star Dikembe Mutombo is a millionaire. He could be anyplace on Earth doing whatever he wanted. He chose to go home and build a hospital. Mutombo, the former Georgetown University star and eight-time NBA All-Star, attended the grand opening last week of the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital in Kinshasa, Congo. It was built by the charity foundation he established. Charlie Burke of Elmira, who was with Mutombo at the hospital's groundbreaking three years ago, was there to see it dedicated. "It was a really wonderful, wonderful time," said Burke, a vice president at Swift Glass Co. in Elmira Heights. Burke was Mutombo's first roommate at Georgetown. Back then, Mutombo was a gangly pre-med student from Congo, attending Georgetown on an academic scholarship. Basketball coach John Thompson persuaded Mutombo to try out for the team, and his athletic career began. On the court, the 7-foot, 2-inch center, a defensive standout and master shot blocker, is known for his intimidating presence and an almost haughty demeanor. It's all an act, Burke said. The winner of numerous humanitarian awards for his charity work, Mutombo has a heart that must fill up every inch of that big body. He was singled out by President George W. Bush during his State of the Union address this year for his generosity. He contributed more than $15 million toward the construction of the hospital, according to reports from The Associated Press. Burke said the new hospital, which is named for Mutombo's mother, is state of the art. "It's really amazing," he said. "It's a 300-bed hospital with everything from an intensive care unit to a neonatal intensive care. It's very modern." Burke said the technology used in the hospital is as advanced as any in the world. A key component is a paperless patient information system that computerizes all the health records for every patient. A quick scan of a patient's fingerprint can give doctors and nurses access to everything the system knows about the patient's medical history, Burke said. He attended the opening ceremony. Among those who participated were President Joseph Kabila, top military personnel and U.S. Ambassador Roger A. Meece, Burke said. Minnesota Timberwolves forward Juwan Howard and Nikki McCray of the WNBA's Chicago Sky joined the trip to Kinshasa and put on children's basketball clinics organized by the U.S. State Department. John Saunders of ESPN also participated. The opening ceremony was exciting and moving, but Burke's favorite moment of the trip happened away from the crowds and media. On his last trip to Kinshasa, he visited an orphanage for children with disabilities. He went back this time, and took with him soccer balls he and his daughter collected. As they did on his first visit, the spirit of the children inspired him. "That was really great, to see these kids who have every reason to feel sorry for themselves because of their situation, but they don't," he said. Burke said Mutombo hopes to play one more season with the Houston Rockets. He's still in the Congo helping organize the hospital. "He's really excited about the opening of the hospital, but that's just the beginning," Burke said. "It needs to be run, so he's meeting with the hospital administration and the staff." Burke said he admires his friend's commitment to his roots. "He really has a deep desire to help out the people over there," he said. "You go over there and you see the millions of people in poverty. Even just a little something helps out, and he's doing this major hospital. If it helps create one Dikembe out of 5,000 people, then maybe that person can do something in the future to help out, and it can snowball into something really big." --

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