Helping Hands Foundation was founded in 2005 by Tom Harries and Jeff Gelfand to help Stefan Chidesa, a newborn from Romania with a complex congenital hand deformity. Stefan was brought to Annapolis, where he and his mother were hosted by Dick and Mary Skinner for six weeks during which time he underwent surgical correction of his hand deformity. Since inception, seven people have been brought to A
nnapolis for reconstructive surgical procedures. Helping Hands has sponsored surgical training trips to Europe, Asia, and soon to South America to help teach local surgeons in these communities the modern techniques necessary to care for their patients. Surgical procedures for all visiting patients have been performed at the Anne Arundel Medical Center through the generous support of Anne Arundel Medical Center and the AAMC Foundation.
