Alabama SCI Chapter Children's Hospital
“Richard McFalls”

Richard McFalls has been a member of the Safari Club International Alabama Chapter for 14 years. He shares a love for hunting, fishing, the outdoors - and children. He resides with his family in Hoover, Alabama. He met his wife, Terry (who was the in-charge nurse in open heart surgery at the hospital where they've worked together for 21 years) at Carraway Hospital. McFalls is a "Perfusionist" and is responsible for running the open heart machine during surgery. He has two grown sons, Cliff and Lee (one is married and lives in Las Vegas; the other is single and resides in Western Arkansas).

Children's hospital is a 275 bed facility and they are usually full. They see 600,000 out-patients a year. These are Medicare patients, McFalls explained - kids with cancer, on ventilators, some who are wheelchair bound. Denise Dexter, SCI and I have a plan and dream and we are in hopes of establishing a permanent trail - a Rain Forest with animals, a Safari-theme hospital, explains McFalls. We envision that someday Children's Hospital will expand and develop an extensive Safari theme similar to the concept at St. Jude's Children's Hospital.

McFalls said his mother and father were collectors and had a very large collection of rare glass canes which are on display in the Birmingham Art Museum (donated in his parents' names). Several Andy Warhol watercolors were donated as well.

Richard McFalls said that he always has been a kid at heart and has always enjoyed animation, with the Disney characters his favorites. His Disney collection was started in the 70's. For several years at Christmas time, his home in Hoover was decorated with focus on the animated characters. The display became very popular and eventually caused neighborhood traffic to become pretty congested.

"With my donation of the Disney characters to SCI and then jointly to Children's Hospital, my family and I can continue to share the blessings … see happiness and smiles on the faces of sick children … and happiness is the best medicine of all!"