NEWS AND VIEWS: A progress report on Ukrainian children treated at St. Louis Eye Institute (09/08/96)

NEWS AND VIEWS

A progress report on Ukrainian children treated at St. Louis Eye Institute

by William Selezinka, M.D.

SAN DIEGO - Having returned from my fifth humanitarian medical mission to Ukraine (the fourth to Ivano-Frankivske) on June 6, I thought I should relate a follow-up on the children we have treated at the St. Louis University Eye Institute. We were fortunate to be able to see and examine three of these four children during this mission.

Some of these children were brought to the United States as a result of private donations, the work of the Orphans Aid Society of New York (Maria Jowyk), and the support of many local Ukrainian American communities, which paid for air fares and other incidental expenses. The St. Louis hospitals and doctors did the work gratis.

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You will remember little Slavko, who had only light perception in one eye and blindness in the other. He made the NBC "Today" program in 1993. Today, he sees 20/40, which is a miracle in itself, as he should have had deep amblyopia (lazy eye). This would have required special schooling for the handicapped.

However, he not only takes care of himself but now, at age 6, goes to regular kindergarten, rides his tricycle, is an avid singer and writes poems. He also has a new baby sister, for whom he chose the name Olesya. The family celebrates two birthdays each year for Slavko April 28 (birthday) and July 2 (surgery day and birth of vision).

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Natalia came from Ternopil in October 1993. She had a severe ptosis (droopy eyelid) and thus had very lazy left eye. This was a serious congenital anomaly, and after surgery we patched her good right eye to force her to return some vision in the left eye. This vision came up from 20/400 to 20/40. However, we had to surgically correct a vertical strabismus of the left eye this June, which should make her results even better.

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Yaroslav from Kyiv - the 13-year-old composer, poet and writer - was seen in St. Louis in 1994. His vision was only 20/200 at 5 inches with a magnifier. Our Low Vision Department fitted him with telescopic lenses, and his vision was 20/50 and 20/40. He saw his mother for the first time with his new lenses.

Now his mother doesn't have to write his music for him from his dictation, as she had in the past. Yaroslav is now editor of a poetry section in a Ukrainian paper. He also has accepted to a special classical music school in Kyiv this year.

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Misha had a severe plexiform neurofibroma of the right upper lid. This covered his entire eye in addition to a tumor that occupied the right orbit. A two-stage operation was done in June and September 1995. One can now see his right eye, and he is doing well so far.

The beginnings of change

I would like to make a general observation about our trip to Ivano-Frankivske June. There were 11 of us - six physicians, three operating room nurses, an orthopedist, and a physician's wife who acted as coordinator. The physicians paid their own way, while the community's donations paid the air fare of our two senior eye residents and O.R. crew. We took about $125,000 worth of supplies, medications and equipment (including a $31,000 YAG laser).

For the first time in four visits over the past four and a half years, we could detect the beginnings of change. The eye department moved to the ninth floor of a new building that was started by the East Germans several years ago. We were not interfered with by some of the faculty, which had previously decided who would be seen.

The Ukrainian resident physicians could now talk to us and our American residents, and ask questions. They were no longer afraid and, hopefully, will no longer be punished verbally or otherwise for interacting. The city is opening a new, remodeled eye clinic - an entire fifth floor of the old building. Eventually, the residents will be transferred there.

We are currently looking for another new ophthalmic operating microscope, preferably with a camera and monitor for teaching. So, while we are truly grateful for the community's financial help in the past, we sincerely hope it can continue its support. Our entire team wants to return twice a year, but definitely by May 1997. In the meantime, the mayor of Ivano-Frankivske is coming to visit us in San Diego at the end of August.

Donations may be made to: UMANA Ukrainian Eye Project, 2247 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL 60622, and are tax-deductible under UMANA IRS #13-6162818. For further information, write or call: Dr. William Selezinka, 12176 Sand Trap Row, San Diego, CA 92128, telephone, (619) 676-1104.