A family with strong ACU roots is active in the effort to help bring medical and humanitarian aid to victims of the powerful earthquakes in Haiti. Brentwood, Tenn., physician David M. Vanderpool M.D. (’81) and his son, ACU junior David Vanderpool, have been working in the devastated region this past week, the former with Mobile Medical Disaster Relief (MMDR) and the latter as a volunteer in the Abilene office of Global Samaritan Resources (GSR).
The younger Vanderpool is a senior Bible major at ACU, and was joined in Haiti by his brother, John Mark, a high school junior.
MMDR is the non-profit organization David M. Vanderpool runs with his father, B. David Vanderpool M.D. (’52), a Dallas surgeon and one of the nation’s most respected physicians who also is a longtime leader in the Texas Medical Association and Texas Surgical Society. The elder Vanderpool was on campus last semester to speak to Body & Soul (pre-health professions majors) and other students about working in medical missions.
GSR’s leadership has deep roots at ACU as well, including directors Dr. Jon Ashby (’64), Dr. Wendell Broom (’45) and Dr. Ed Enzor (’59 M.A.). As retired Abilene Christian professors, Ashby (communication sciences and disorders), Broom (missions) and Enzor (communication) work with volunteers in a facility that was part of the university’s original campus on North First Street from its early days (1906-29).
We also recently learned that TJ McCloud (’03) is about to assist Manna Global Ministries with supply transport needs from Santo Domingo (in the Dominican Republic) to Port-au-Prince. If you know of other alumni involved in the growing Haiti relief efforts, please let us know.