« »

American Surgeons to Restore 12-year-old Girl’s Face with the Assistance of the Ukraine 3000 Fund

With the assistance of the Ukraine 3000 International Charitable Fund, 12-year-old Iryna Shevchenko (village of Selyshche, Cherkasy oblast) has got a chance to get her face restored, which is maimed with a congenital tumor.

Iryna was born with a big cavernous hemangioma. When she was 12 months old, she had undergone a tumor cryoablation. However, intact tissues were affected by the surgery. Today half of Iryna’s face is scarred.

After studying medical case and consulting with renowned Ukrainian experts, a decision was made to send Iryna to the US for an additional examination. It was carried out in October 2006 at the UT Health Science Center’s Division of Plastic Surgery.

The examination proved that Iryna needs a considerably more complicated surgery, since not only her skin, nose, and lips are to be restored, but also muscles, vessels, and nerves.

The main surgery, scheduled for April 2007, will be very complicated and will last for approximately 20 hours. It will be carried out by a surgeons’ team headed by Chief Surgeon of the Division of Plastic Surgery, Dr. Robert Wallace.

The surgery will cost over $250,000. The girl’s family won’t be charged any expenses.

This action has become possible due to the cooperation between the Ukraine 3000 International Charitable Fund, US-based charitable organization John Wood Ministries presided by Mr. John Wood,  and Aid to Medicine charitable fund presided by Mr. Oleksandr Etnis.

In the photo: Iryna Shevchenko with her mother and John Wood, President of the John Wood Ministries charitable organization.