Mrs. Kateryna Yushchenko Meets with Natalia Nikolenko in the US
24 December 2007 17:34
December 19, 2007, Head of the Supervisory Board of the Ukraine 3000 International Charitable Fund Kateryna Yushchenko met with Natalia Nikolenka in Miami, US. Wife of the US Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart Anita, administration of Diaz-Balart’s offices in Miami and Washington, doctors and nurses of the Jackson Memotial Hospital were also present at the meeting.
Mrs. Kateryna talked to Natalia and offered her season’s greetings.
Mrs. Yushchenko brought for Natalia presents from Ukraine and also gave the hospital and doctors art objects with Petrikivka folk painting.
20-year-old Natalia Nikolenko, Dnipropetrovsk, has a grave congenital disease, arthrogryposis. People suffering this disease have underdeveloped dysfunctional extremities. However, the disease didn’t prevent Natalia from mastering painting and embroidering. The girl creates amazing patterns with a pencil or paintbrush clutched in her mouth.
In October 2006, Mrs. Kateryna met Natalia during her stay in Dnipropetrovsk. Admiring the girl’s bravery, will to live, and willpower, Ukraine 3000 Fund decided to apply her for the Pride of the Country national prize in the Moral Courage nomination. The initiative found support, and the prize was delivered to Natalia by Kateryna Yushchenko March 30, 2007, at the awards ceremony.
October 1, 2007, Natalia Nesterenko left to the United States for medical examination. This became possible due to the support of the US Cuban community headed by Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart. The community had offered the Ukraine 3000 Fund to carry out a joint charitable program back in 2005, and since 2007 they have been organizing for Ukrainian children trips to the United States to get artificial limbs. The children from the first group, which included Natalia, required prosthetics for upper extremities. For two weeks they had been undergoing medical procedures, prosthetics, and rehabilitation at the Hanger Orthopedic Group. Another group is scheduled to leave for the US in spring to get lower extremities prosthetics. Ukrainian doctors are also taking part in the program, studying the experience of their American colleagues in prosthetics to apply it later in Ukraine.
A consultation was arranged for Miss Nikolenko in Orlando, Florida, at the Hanger Orthopedic Group, with a renowned orthopedist and trauma specialist, Director of the Orlando Memorial Hospital Prof. Charles Price, who accessed the character and effectiveness of a surgery.
October 9, Natalia went through a series of consultations and X-ray examination. Cedars Sinai’s renowned expert in arthroplasty and reconstructive surgery Prof. Henry Parvatanini agreed to perform surgery on Natalia free of charge. The costs of her stay at the hospital will be covered from donations to the girl’s personal account created for her at the Jackson Foundation.
Natalia Nikolenko underwent her first surgery December 6, 2007, in Miami. At present she is going through a treatment and rehabilitation course. It is planned that she’ll stay in the US till late January. She is undergoing important medical manipulations and preparations for prosthetics and actively studying English. Besides, Natalia proceeds with her painting. Her painting was used for the hospital’s Christmas card.
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