Actor and Director Mel Gibson has donated $10 million to be split evenly between Mattel Children's Hospital at UCLA and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

The gifts will provide the respective hospitals with reimbursement for medical care to children from foreign countries who are unable to afford medical care in their own countries, either because such medical care is unavailable there, or because they lack the financial resources to secure treatment.

To qualify for treatment paid for by this donation, these children must have serious medical conditions for which they are unable to be treated in their own countries. The children whose care will be paid for by this donation will be located and recommended by Healing the Children under the direction of founder Cris Embleton. Healing the Children seeks to serve youths with serious, yet correctable, medical problems without regard to race, religion, creed or national origin.

"For the past several years, the Gibson family has quietly supported Healing the Children's efforts to help sick and injured children around the world," Embleton said. "Not only have they given financial support, they also have given their time and hearts and as a result have seen first hand how people working together can give a child the future they deserve. Their awesome gift, coupled with the willing hands and hearts of others, will bring healing to many hurting children and joy to the heart of their parents. We are so profoundly grateful for the gift. We believe in miracles and we believe that this is indeed one!"

"Our goal is simply to unite medical care with sick and injured children," Embleton said. "We have seen for ourselves how willing hands and hearts can make this world a better place for all children."

Dr. Edward McCabe, physician-in-chief of the Mattel Children's Hospital at UCLA and executive chair of the Department of Pediatrics, said the gift will enable the hospital to help children worldwide.

"Through this remarkable contribution, the generosity of Mr. Gibson will transform the lives of children throughout the world," McCabe said.

"It's gratifying to know that he shares our vision. All of those who have supported UCLA's Mattel Children's Hospital have come to know the enormous impact of its patient care, teaching and research -- not only to Southern California -- but also to children and families worldwide," McCabe said. "Mr. Gibson's generous gift will establish the 'Two Marias International Children's Fund' and enhance Mattel Children's Hospital's mission to help many children overcome their illnesses and go on to live productive lives."

Located in the UCLA Medical Center, UCLA's Mattel Children's Hospital is a hospital-within-a-hospital that includes a 120-bed inpatient unit and an outpatient Children's Health Center that together serve more than 34,000 patients each year. In addition to providing well-child care and immunizations, Mattel Children's Hospital maintains the country's leading pediatric organ transplant programs and is renowned for its research into pediatric cancers, cardiology and neurology, as well as the genetics of childhood diseases. Working through Healing the Children, its surgical and medical team successfully separated the formerly conjoined twins from Guatemala -- known as the "little Marias" -- in 2002.

UCLA Medical Center is one of the top five hospitals in the nation and No. 1 in the West, as ranked by U.S. News and World Report. The hospital's Emergency Medicine Center is a designated Level 1 Trauma Center and Pediatric Critical Care Center. For information about clinical programs or help in choosing a personal physician, call (800) UCLA-MD1 or visit http://www.healthcare.ucla.edu.