Oct. 24 dinner raises funds to prevent child abuse

A8

MARY-ELLEN SAUNDERS
KV STYLE

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Gregory Zed helped create the foundation that carries on the legacy of Dr. David Stephen, trying to stop child abuse.

A Rothesay pediatrician who died tragically in a car accident 18 years ago would be extremely proud that his legacy of helping to stop child abuse has continued to flourish, said Gregory Zed.
“David is in heaven looking down at us and daily saying ‘Soldier on.’ And we get that message very loud and clear,” Zed said.
Zed said Dr. David Stephen was a pediatrician and a member of the Children at Risk Team who died in 1990, in his early 30s, when his car hit black ice on his way to a trial in St. Stephen.
“He fought for what was right for the right reasons,’ Zed said. “He was very well received and well respected by his patients and their families.”
A void was left after his death in the hearts and souls of the professional community, Zed said, and so the Children At Risk Team and Zed joined together to create the Dr. David Stephen Memorial Foundation.
The foundation educates the public to prevent child abuse and financially supports organizations in their work to prevent child abuse.
On Oct. 24 the foundation hosts a major fundraising dinner at the Delta Brunswick. It will be a night of Lebanese cuisine. It begins at 6 p.m. and tickets are $100 per person.
Zed said over the years the foundation has raised $300,000 and all of the money has gone towards the cause Dr. Stephen was passionate about.
He said the foundation has provided money so that children at a high risk of being abused could be given services more quickly. He said it has also spent money bringing keynote speakers into the province to educate professionals about child abuse prevention techniques and has provided funds for local professionals to attend conferences in other parts of the country so they could bring their skills home and help those at risk.
He said the foundation was one of the initial founders of the Roots of Empathy program in School District 6 that trains children to be more empathetic. He said the foundation also sponsors the DARE program.
Zed said the foundation supports the New Brunswick Adoption Foundation’s efforts to encourage permanent adoption of New Brunswick children because it is shown to decrease the instances of children being abused.
“We are supporting the infrastructure,” Zed said. “The people that are doing the work, and without the work the abuse situation would be much higher and certainly people would be less aware, so we are giving hope to those in the field that deal with child abuse on a regular basis so they know they are not alone.”
Zed said the foundation is also on the cusp of becoming a public advocate for causes it deems important to prevent child abuse. He said right now the foundation is looking into safe haven legislation the province could adopt that would allow a parent to leave their baby within 72 hours of birth in the care of a doctor or nurse at a local emergency room with no questions asked.
To purchase a ticket to the dinner phone Zed at 658-3738, 432-2071 or evenings at 847-4158.