The Sister Cities Program - 500 US Cities - 1900 connections worldwide - 140 Countries

A sister city organization is a volunteer group of ordinary citizens who, with the support of their local elected officials, form long-term relationships with people and organizations in a city abroad. Each sister city organization is independent and pursues the activities and thematic areas that are important to them and their community including municipal, business, trade, educational and cultural exchanges with their sister city.

Sister city organizations promote peace through people-to-people relationships—with program offerings varying greatly from basic cultural exchange programs to shared research and development projects between cities with relationships.

The United States and Ireland have many Sister City programs. I am involved in the Sister City connection between Tucson, Arizona and County Roscommon.

County Roscommon is also connected to many other US cities and it is one of these connections which proved life changing and life saving for a member of Roscommon's Mayor, Tom Crosby.

Tom and his wife, Pauline, have become dear friends. I knew their daughter Pearl was having health issues and thinks were grim. She has been dealing with an "inoperable" brain tumor for many years.

During  a visit from delegation from Downey to County Roscommon last spring, a member of the delegation connected Crosby-Dillon with Dr. Hrayr Shahinian of the Skull Base Institute in Los Angeles.

Here is the interview post surgery:

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2013/10/18/irish-woman-gets-new-shot...

Thanks for saving Pearl, though thanks doesn't seem large enough.