Giving Back

Paramus Rotary Club Helps Fund Ultrasound Machine for Pediatric Thyroid Center

Klas Haglid, a dedicated member of the Paramus Rotary Club in Paramus, NJ, has played a pivotal role in an initiative to support the Child and Adolescent Thyroid Consortium (CATC). As last year’s president and a current Trustee, Klas led the raising of $16,000 to acquire a high-end wireless ultrasound machine for the renowned CHOP Thyroid Center. This center, based at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, is the busiest pediatric thyroid center in the United States, annually caring for over 1,400 patients. The ultrasound machine will bolster their ability to provide state-of-the-art, patient-focused care.

The Child and Adolescent Thyroid Consortium (CATC) is a global research program dedicated to bettering the lives of children and adolescents battling thyroid disorders through collaboration with pediatric thyroid centers worldwide. Thyroid ultrasound is a vital tool in evaluating thyroid conditions such as thyroid enlargement, nodules, and cancer. Unfortunately, its use in pediatric thyroid care has been limited. So, Paramus Rotary Club stepped in to support the CHOP Thyroid Center’s acquisition of a point-of-care ultrasound machine.

The PRC’s involvement with the CHOP Thyroid Center underscores the Rotary Club’s dedication to creating a better future for those in need. By leveraging their resources and collective efforts, they are making a tangible difference in the lives of countless children and adolescents who will benefit from improved thyroid care and diagnostics.

For more information about the Child and Adolescent Thyroid Consortium (CATC) and the CHOP Thyroid Center, please visit CATC’s website and the CHOP Thyroid Center.

Healthy Water for Keystone, West Virginia

At the invitation of West Virginia Senator Edward Evans and Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, Haglid Engineering traveled to Keystone for a press conference with the town’s mayor, sheriff, and local officials. At the end of the day, $10,330,000 dollars were found for providing fresh, clean, and safe drinking water to Keystone’s homes and residents.

Klas Haglid has worked on international water projects and believes that healthy drinking water allows people to focus on bettering their lives and not just trying to survive. Haglid states, “It is important to realize that we have people right here in the United States who do not have the basic necessities of life. We do not need to travel to Burma, halfway around the world, to help save lives. We merely had to take a day-long car ride to help our fellow Americans and neighbors!”

Paramus Rotary Club Myanmar Humanitarian Clean Water Project

Of the 51 million people living in Myanmar (Burma), 40 percent have little or no access to clean water sources. Even if people can afford the bottled and purified water sold—and many cannot–at least half of that supply is contaminated with deadly bacteria and acidic chemicals as well. Hepatitis, Typhoid Fever, Dysentery, and Polio are the results of this devastating situation, causing debilitating illness, little opportunity for people to improve their lives, and often death. Myanmar’s citizens desperately need potable water for its many villages. Of course, with water systems drying up or becoming polluted globally, Myanmar is not the only location that could benefit from an inexpensive way to produce clean drinking water. Currently, we are facing a water crisis where 1.1 billion people worldwide do not have access to fresh water.

By 2025, two thirds of the world’s population may face water shortages. Droughts that compromise agriculture and spark wild fires are no secret. Polluted and bacteria-laden water cause illness and not just in remote locales; just look at Flint, Michigan! Humanity needs to find a way to produce drinkable water anywhere it is lacking. Now imagine if we could simply pull it out of thin air. As it turns out, we can. Myanmar (formerly Burma) LOCATION Challenge Solution Thanks to the Rotary Club of Paramus, NJ and two global grants from Rotary International, ten locations in Myanmar are benefitting from innovative, solar-powered water well towers engineered by Rotary Fellow Klas Haglid of Haglid Engineering