2006 Inspired Comfort Award Grand Prize Winner — LPN/LVN Category

LVN Donates 1,000 Hours on Time Off to
Help Global Disaster Victims

While volunteering with the U.S. State Department in Kuwait City in 1991, American combat field medic Gerald Flint witnessed dying civilians on the battlefields of the Gulf War. His experiences motivated him to form Volunteer Medics Worldwide — VMW , an organization that now has more than 80 volunteers in 11 countries and has completed 35 disaster relief missions. He is employed as an aeromedical evacuation technician with the United States Air Force Reserve — USAFR . While off-duty, Flint, who also is a licensed vocational nurse — LVN , teaches and provides treatment for individuals in several African and Asian countries, including the Ivory Coast, South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and the Philippine Islands. For his selfless dedication and compassion, he has received the prestigious Cherokee Inspired Comfort Award, one of only 11 honorees nationwide in 2006.

The award is granted annually by Cherokee Uniforms - a leading designer and manufacturer of healthcare apparel - to recognize nurses and other non-physician healthcare professionals who demonstrate exceptional service, sacrifice and innovation and have a positive impact on others' lives.

“I am happiest when I provide care to a sick or injured person in a remote setting who may not have any funds or access to healthcare. Seeing a child's face light up and that big smile always makes the day worth living.”

- Gerald Flint

In January 2005, after recovering from wounds to his foot sustained in Iraq during a Medevac mission, Flint responded to the tsunami disaster in Asia by leading an international team of medical volunteers from VMW to assist the victims. For the next five months, he and his team of volunteers provided rescue and recovery services as well as general health care, medications, eyeglasses and other medical supplies to the people of Thailand and Sri Lanka. Flint performed over 1,000 volunteer hours of service and personally paid all transportation fees for two separate missions to the affected region.

Also in 2005, Flint completed several weeks of active duty with the USAFR overseas and in the United States. His duties included treating wounded service members and diplomats from Afghanistan and Iraq, and evacuating them to higher and safer levels of care in Germany and in the United States.

In July 2005, Hurricane Dennis struck western Florida. Flint, also being an FAA certified/licensed pilot, took part in air patrols and helped deliver much needed supplies to relief centers located in the disaster area. Flint volunteered countless hours with the local and state EMS teams, rescuing and treating those affected by the hurricane.

The following month, Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast and, once again, Flint led his team of volunteers from VMW to assist victims. He treated hundreds of people and was responsible for improving food and water distribution in the Waveland, Miss., area. His team led rescue, comfort and feeding teams by caravan to where others could not or would not go. They brought lifesaving medicine, food and water to those in need.

Flint's team of volunteers also assisted with emergency operations in Texas and western Louisiana following Hurricane Rita in September 2005. He did everything from advanced cardiac life support to helping rebuild homes. Two months later, he led his team to Evansville, Ind., where one of the deadliest tornadoes to strike Indiana in years touched down. Flint and his team organized flight patrols and transported medicine and food to the aid stations within the region. As usual, all of his work was volunteered, and all expenses were paid with his private funds.

Says Flint, "Doing remote care in places abroad where people are normally without any kind of medical attention brings me the greatest satisfaction. I see God smiling back at me when I give my all for others. I'm at my best when I'm volunteering. Nothing beats stronger than the heart of a volunteer."

As a Grand Prize Winner in the award's LVN/LPN category, Flint receives an all-expense-paid Caribbean cruise for two, a crystal award, a wardrobe of Cherokee healthcare apparel and appears in the nationally distributed Cherokee Inspired Comfort Award 2007 calendar.

Since the Cherokee Inspired Comfort Award was established in 2003, more than 4,200 healthcare professionals have been nominated in the Registered Nurse, Advanced Practice Nurse, Licensed Practical Nurse/Licensed Vocational Nurse, Student Nurse and Non-Physician Healthcare Professional categories. A panel of nursing professionals and Cherokee representatives evaluates nominations and grants the awards.

For every nomination, Cherokee Uniforms donated $1 to Nurses House, a national fund that provides short-term financial assistance to registered nurses facing serious hardship. Since 2005, Cherokee has donated $2,200. Proceeds from Cherokee Uniforms products support healthcare professionals through initiatives such as the Cherokee Inspired Comfort Award, an annual calendar and the A Nurse I Am Film and Scholarship Program. Cherokee Uniforms will be accepting nominations for the 2007 Cherokee Inspired Comfort Award beginning March 1, 2007 through May 31, 2007.

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