A collaborative effort between the Suttons Bay-Leelanau County Rotary Club and the National Honor Society at Northport School has resulted in the donation of specialized medical equipment to a hospital in Lima, Peru.

Four monitors were purchased and donated to the pediatric intensive care units (PICU) at Hospital Cayetano Heridia, where patients are among the poorest of Peru. The monitors were delivered by foreign language teacher Miluska Monroy, a native of Peru and a foreign language teacher at Northport Public School.

“They brought me to the PICU where the monitors were being used,” said Monroy, adding that doctors shared stories about many of the young patients with her. “They were elated to have something as wonderful as that in their unit and told me that if they’re ever in need again, they’ll be sure to contact us.”

The project was launched in September when Northport honor society students made up coin collection containers and placed them in businesses and monitored them for several months. Northport’s National Honor Society chapter has 15 members. Meanwhile, the Suttons Bay-Leelanau County Rotary Club also launched a fund drive among its members and residents throughout the county.

The goal of the fundraising effort — $6,600 — was reached just before Christmas.

Rotary projects require a partnership with Rotarians in the host country. Working on the South American side of the project in Peru were Rotarians Louis Verastequi and Carlos Rioja, and Dr. Daniel Porturas, chief doctor of the PICU at the hospital. There was also assistance from Rotarians and their wives in Lima, and a ladies volunteer group at the hospital called “DAMAS.”

Funds raised paid for two special monitors. A third monitor was donated by the supplier, Jorge Ossa, because he was so impressed with the need and the generous service by Rotarians and the Northport students. Rotary friends in Texas learned of the project and chipped in, funding a fourth monitor that was recently installed.

The project, which began in Leelanau County, resulted in providing four neo-natal and youth specific monitors. Prior to the donation, children with special needs in an intensive care unit were sometimes turned away.

Each unit will be used by an estimated 3,500 children over the life of the equipment.