Heartlink team expands its mission to include children of Ukraine (06/04/00)

Heartlink team expands its mission to include children of Ukraine

by Dr. Michael J. Kozak

MINNEAPOLIS - During the past 30 years this city has served as the headquarters of the international medical charity, Children's HeartLink, an organization dedicated to the treatment and prevention of heart diseases in children around the world. It works in partnership with hospitals in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Israel. Lately, Children's HeartLink initiated its charitable activities in Ukraine.

Last year, in July, Claudia Liebrecht, president of the organization, and John C. Cushing, director of program services, visited medical centers in Kyiv and Lviv.

They determined that there was a greater need for enhanced cardiac services for children in Lviv.

Meetings were held with the cardiac team from the Lviv Cardiovascular Surgery Center, including Ukrainian cardiologists, Drs. Demetri Bablyak, Yuri Ivaniv and pediatric cardiac surgeon, Mykola Konyk. Ms. Liebrecht and Mr. Cushing also met with Borys Kryvko, head of Lviv Regional Hospital, who encouraged HeartLink to work with the hospital cardiac program. After a year of preparation the HeartLink team was ready to work with Lviv's cardiovascular specialists to perform surgeries and catheterizations on needy children with heart disease and to provide training, funding and supplies.

In April of this year, a team from the United States headed by Dr. Don Watson, a pediatric cardiac surgeon at the University of Tennessee-Memphis, arrived in Lviv. The team also included a cardiologist, anesthesiologist, perfusionist, operating room nurse, intensive care nurses and biomedical technicians. Ms. Liebrecht and Denise McCabe, program coordinator, also accompanied the team.

The American team assisted in diagnosis, treatment and post-operative care and provided education and training for the Ukrainian medical team. The American team also donated up-to-date medical equipment, a large quantity of surgical supplies and toys and t-shirts for children.

Fourteen children received corrective heart operations and catheterization, and 45 were evaluated.

Ms. Librecht noted "It was a pleasure to meet and work with the Ukrainian people and to see the great potential for their cardiac program. Our goal in Lviv, as with the other programs we work with around the world, is to provide additional tools that will allow their cardiac program to grow and treat more children. We hope our assistance with surgeries, donated supplies and training will do this." She added that very soon a large container of equipment of medical supplies would be shipped to Lviv's Cardiovascular Surgery Center.

Dr. Watson stated "Given the rudimentary facilities and lack of disposable supplies - a continuing, dominant desperate need - the Ukrainian health care providers do an incredible job treating critically ill patients. ... Currently, the thrust of surgical treatment for cardiovascular disease is focused on adults. The major purpose of this trip was to evaluate the feasibility of HeartLink helping to further develop pediatric programs. Opportunities for this abound and Ukrainian health care providers have two critical characteristics that make this possible: hard work and dedication to children."

Future HeartLink missions to Lviv will depend on funds raised to support this new project. To make a donation or to learn more about Children's HeartLink, call (612) 928-4860, ext. 16, 5075 Arcadia Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55436-2306, or visit www.childrensheartlink.org.

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