Mel Gibson's $10 Million Giving Puts Children's Charities in the Spotlight

The announcement of a $10 million gift to benefit children's charities from Mel Gibson has turned the spotlight onto several worthy charitable projects.

It was announced that two Los Angeles area hospitals will each receive $5 million to be used towards the treatment of poor and needy children.

In a unique approach to dispensing the money to UCLA's Mattel Childrens' Hospital and the Cedars-Sinai's Children's Center, Mel chose another charity to allocate the funds. He's found a new way to shift the spotlight onto the worthy charities and stepped back from the limelight.

Gary and Cris Embleton founded Healing The Children, which will distribute the monies by choosing needy children from around the world who would benefit by specialized medical care at either of the 2 hospitals in Los Angeles.

"For the past several years, the Gibson family has quietly supported Healing the Children's efforts to help sick and injured children around the world," explains Cris Embleton. "Not only have they given financial support, they also have given their time and hearts and as a result have seen first hand how people working together can give a child the future they deserve," she told Zap2it entertainment news service.

Healing the Children began in 1974 when Gary and Cris, advocates for adoption of special needs children, found a special needs child, Lori, who was going to die for want of $5 worth of medicine .. medicine unavailable in her native country.

They managed to get Lori into the US, but the wait had been too long, and she died before her first birthday. All because she lacked just $5 worth of medicine.

And thus began their efforts. First it was children they heard about. Then they started getting special requests. And finally, in 1979, they formally establish the nonprofit organization.

By bringing children to the US, and by organizing healing trips overseas, HTC's 15 chapters in the US having been able to reach some 60,000 children from countries around the world.

In an amazing opportunity, $10 million will help extend the work of Healing The Children .. and hopefully the publicity will cause medical professionals and other volunteers, as well as donors, to become part of their project of practical love.

Healing The Children Homepage