Martin And Jean Shafiroff Host Cocktails For Surgeons Of Hope

Jean and Martin Shafiroff hosted a party at their Park Avenue home to raise awareness for the Surgeons of Hope Gala on May 3. The nonprofit sends pediatric heart surgeons to under-resourced regions to perform life-saving surgeries to babies born with heart defects.

Charles Catherine and Judith O’Neill. (Photo: Sylvain Gaboury/PMC)

The charity has been growing its efforts in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Peru, areas the Shafiroff’s know well and are already engaged in. In the past few years, Jean has joined daughter Elizabeth and Lindsey Spielfogel to visit many South American countries to improve their treatment of dogs and cats, as part of the Global Strays charity the young girls founded. What the Shafiroff’s don’t talk about is the personal help they give people in need along the way.

Although complex pediatric heart surgeries and treatments are available, they are often out-of reach for the world’s more under-resourced regions. Surgeons of Hope mends broken hearts: literally for the children and figuratively for the parents. After surgery, Surgeons of Hope provides facilities, technology and triaging to ensure local medical professionals can continue this service in their communities.

Guests included Surgeons of Hope’s Executive Director Charles Catherine, U.S. Representative Carolyn Maloney, Designer Victor de Souza, Artist Tony Bechara, Edgar Batista, designer Mary McFadden, Elizabeth Shafiroff, Margo Lagenberf, Rebecca Knox, Rachel Hirschfeld, Edgar Batista, Natalie Ross, Florence Anthony, Chele Farley, Gilda Sacasa, Marie-Eve Berty, Odile Longchampt, Marie-Monique Steckel, Baroness Veronique Bich, H.E. Alejandro Posse and Surgeons of Hope VP Judith O’Neill.

The 2018 Night for Hope Gala will be held on Thursday, May 3 at the Le Bernardin Privé by Eric Ripert in Manhattan. It will honor the memory of Michel Berty, co-founder of the Long Island Chapter of l’Arche USA and long-time supporter and part of the board of Surgeons of Hope. He started the tradition of having the annual gala benefit the children of Latin America.

This year’s Gala Chairs are Michael Katz and Robert G. Pine and the Gala Committee includes: Eduardo and Suzanne da Cruz, Michael and Alison Katz, Pascal Royer and Nathalie Le Bos, Michel and Odile Longchampt, Daniela Nikolova and Judith O’Neill.

To learn more about The Surgeons of Hope Foundation, visit surgeonsofhope.org.