Padma Lakshmi
There are warriors, there are brilliant, passionate, caring warriors in life who fight for what is right and fight for making all of our lives better. One such person is my dear friend and co-founder, Dr. Tamer Seckin. Please put your hands together.
Dr Tamer Seckin:
I am not sure how I am going to handle this; this is getting a little bit too heavy for me but let me say, “Let the great spirit bless you all”, and thank you for coming.
Thank you for coming for the people, the woman who are not in the room, who will one day remember what we are trying to do. I think their voices, their pains, their agonies should be heard and there is nothing I can say, no words are enough to thank Padma for what she is selflessly doing for us. I thank my many surgeon friends who changed their schedules, and came from all over the world tonight to be with us, whom I am also proud of. I learned a lot from them. Through this foundation their efforts will be conduited to a greater cause and you are also a part of it, thank you again for being with us.
But, we are a baby foundation and we always need help, and not necessarily from doctors, let me not forget the scientists who are also here tonight from M.I.T., from Monash, everyone who directs our surgical skills. I do not want to prolong this but let me acknowledge some very important people that made, and are making this happen. Padma also tried to say this, but I think we have to acknowledge others as well as Janet Rosel who has been an incredible help with our spirit and everything we need. She is an incredible help and I salute her. She is wonderful. And I salute Eileen Guggenheim who is wonderful, and who has been the secret advisor to me, to Padma, to all of us, Eileen, thank you.
I would like to acknowledge new board members and an incredible person, another very generous person, Kim Bendheim who is here with us tonight. Kim, thank you for all your generosity. And Lisa Cirando, a lawyer who is a wonderful person. Thank you for being with us.
Let me not prolong this, I would like to typically honor a surgeon and a scientist. I will honor the scientist first; her name is Mrs. Caroline Gargett from Australia from Monash University. She is the one who started stem-cell research on endometriosis and has been an inspiration for all of us since we have been looking for the cause. We think the secret is lying there and we are following her research very closely. Caroline Gargett, please come up here.
It states, “In recognition of your contribution to the science and treatment of endometriosis, we honor Caroline Gargett, PhD from Monash University”. Thank you Caroline. Please say a few words.
