October 30, 2006

CONTACT: Olivia Fermano
(215) 349-5653
olivia.fermano@uphs.upenn.edu

John Harlow
Freedom Calls Foundation
(516) 456-3639
jharlow@freedomcalls.org

The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Partners with
Freedom Calls Foundation to Enable Marine in Iraq to Meet His Newborn Son and Congratulate New Mom Via Video Conference Over Freedom Calls Satellite Network
Marine in Iraq to see and interact with newborn son from the war zone

Marine Lance Corporal Han C. Liang is stationed on the front lines in Iraq, but he will be seeing and interacting with his newborn son on Tuesday, October 31st, at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania thanks to the Freedom Calls Foundation. LCpl Liang will be present at the hospital to meet his son and congratulate his wife hours after birth via video conference over Freedom Calls satellite network from the Freedom Calls facility at Al Asad Airbase in Iraq. LCpl Liang will see and interact with his wife, Van T Huynh from a large screen monitor set up at the hospital.

The couple’s second child, Thien, was born Saturday at 2:01 am. According to the new mom, “We’re so grateful to Freedom Calls Foundation and Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania for making this possible. This is a dream come true that Han is able to share in Thien’s birth from 7,000 miles away on the front lines.”

“The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania would like to thank the Freedom Calls Foundation for making this connection. We appreciate how uniquely special and significant the birth of a baby is in the lives of parents, and so we were delighted to make these arrangements. We believe health is broadly defined to include the mind, body and spirit. The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania hopes this videoconference will help provide Van with an additional boost of emotional and mental support,” stated Garry Scheib, Executive Director of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

John Harlow, Executive Director of the Freedom Calls Foundation, stated that “the foundation is transforming a long-standing family communication paradigm in time of war by enabling soldiers in the war zone to attend and participate in milestone family events like weddings, 1st communions and new births, etc. Soldiers may now keep their commitments to their families at the same time they keep their commitment to their country. The long-term vision of the Freedom Calls Foundation is that our war fighters will be able to come home from a day on the battlefield and spend virtual time with their families every night using state-of-the-art technology. The contribution of resources by community citizens like the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania enables the foundation to fulfill its mission.”

LCpl Liang will attend the conference over the satellite network that Freedom Calls has built in cooperation with the army and marines to serves U.S. deployed military personnel and their families 24 hours per day free of charge.

About the Freedom Calls Foundation
The Freedom Calls Foundation is a Public Charity building a communications network dedicated to providing state-of-the-art video conferencing, telephone and internet services to enable our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan to keep in touch with their families and loved ones at home, free of charge. The Foundation provides services to more than 30,000 soldiers and Marines free of charge 24 hours per day and the Army has requested that the foundation install eight additional facilities in Iraq and two in Afghanistan in the coming months. The Foundation is authorized by the Secretary of the Army to provide communications services to the troops and their families and recently received a Commendation from the Army and a personal letter of appreciation from SSG GEN Taguba.The Freedom Calls Foundation is supported by donations of corporations and the American people on the foundation’s website www.freedomcalls.org.

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This release is available online at
http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/oct06/FrdmCls.htm