NASA Astronaut James F. Reilly, II (PH.D) toured MediSend International Friday, October 5th and met with the seven African students currently in the MediSend Biomedical Equipment Repair Training Program. Dr. Reilly graduated from Lake Highlands High School, Dallas Texas, in 1972. MediSend International is located only a few blocks from his alma mater in Lake Highlands at 9244 Markville. Dr. Reilly is a member of the MediSend International Advisory Board.

The students from Nigeria, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea were fascinated to hear of Reilly's experiences in space. Reilly has been aboard numerous Shuttle missions.

On Atlantis in June 2007, he logged 30 hours and 43 minutes of EVA in five spacewalks accomplishing successful construction and repair. The mission returned to land at Edwards Air Force Base, California, having traveled 5.8 million miles in only 14 days.

The Africans are in the process of completing the MediSend Biomedical Equipment Repair Training Program sponsored by the ExxonMobil Foundation as part of ExxonMobil's Africa Health Initiative. They will be returning to their home countries on October 22nd to begin applying their training in an effort to improve the depressed healthcare conditions in their communities.

"The students have been exposed to technology and experiences in this country that they will share when they return home. Meeting a famous astronaut was an extraordinary experience- one they will never forget," says Nick Hallack, President and CEO of MediSend International.

"It was a great pleasure to meet the students while visiting my friends at MediSend," said Reilly. "The chance to make a real change in their home countries after their training here in Dallas is exciting and I thoroughly enjoyed my time talking with them. I look forward to hearing about their successes in the future."               

About MediSend International
MediSend International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, humanitarian organization that provides medical aid and education to people in need in developing countries worldwide. MediSend's global mission includes the distribution of medical supplies and equipment in long-term medical aid programs, disaster-emergency medical relief campaigns, and educational programs in Biomedical Equipment Repair. MediSend International has distributed more than 590 shipments of medical supplies and equipment, valued at over $72 million dollars to needy communities in 93 developing countries.