Released February 15, 2005

Long Beach– The School of Nursing at The University of Southern Mississippi is assisting in the tsunami relief effort by helping a graduate return to South Asia to do volunteer work.

Born in southern India to missionary parents, Joel Turner is returning to the area to help children who have been injured, traumatized or orphaned by the tsunami. Turner, who received his master's in nursing from Southern Miss, is a nurse specialist in the emergency department of Memorial Hospital at Gulfport.

To assist Turner financially, the School of Nursing is raffling off tickets for a 3M Littman Cardiology III stethoscope. In conjunction with the South India Tsunami Relief Organization, the School of Nursing is also accepting cash donations and medical supplies, such as small and medium examination gloves, disposable face masks, gauze dressings and other supplies.

"Our goal is to assist Joel with as much support as we possibly can. Everyone in our department--faculty, staff and students--has volunteered to provide logistical backup support for all of the items donated," said Dr. Mary Coyne, professor and coordinator of the Gulf Coast College of Health.

Donations may be dropped off at the Barber Building on the Southern Miss Gulf Coast campus in Long Beach. The raffle will be held March 31 in the School of Nursing. Participants do not have to be present to win.

All the raffle ticket proceeds, cash and medical supply donations will be sent to South India. The organization is a charitable, nonprofit organization.

For more information, contact Dr. Mary Coyne at (228) 865-4517.

-30-