Connecticut medical manufacturer helps Children of Chornobyl Relief Fund (07/01/01)

Connecticut medical manufacturer helps Children of Chornobyl Relief Fund

WALLINGFORD, Conn. - Novametrix Medical Systems, based in southern Connecticut has provided five Oxypleth pulse oxymeters to the Children of Chornobyl Relief Fund (CCRF) to help combat infant mortality in Ukraine. The New Haven Chapter of the CCRF purchased two of the oxymeters for the discounted price of $5,000, and Novametrix contributed three additional new units at no cost to the fund. The manufacturer also provided a large quantity of infant care products for the model neonatal intensive care units being established or modelized by CCRF in Odesa and Rivne.

Two of these pulse oxymeters will be assigned to the Viktor Petrenko Neonatal Intensive Care Center at the Odesa Regional Children's Hospital. CCRF has forged a partnership with Mr. Petrenko, an Olympic skating champion to establish a state-of-the-art neonatal program in his hometown. In March of this year Mr. Petrenko led an all-star cast of skaters in a special charity show for the Children of Chornobyl at the International Skating Center in Simsbury, Conn. The two sold-out performances helped raise $120,000 for the CCRF program in Odesa.

"Our chapter is very proud to be able to support this life-saving effort in Ukraine," said Gloria Horbaty, a resident of Wallingford who is the current president of the New Haven Chapter. "It's very gratifying to be able to work with a highly respected company like Novametrix that is located right here in southern Connecticut, but distributes medical technology all over the world."

CCRF has installed Novametrix instruments in Poltava, Vinnytsia, Lutsk, Rivne and other Ukrainian cities where they have helped local doctors dramatically reduce infant mortality - in some cases by as much as 50 to 80 percent. Last year, Novametrix was honored by a visit from U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro and author Irene Zabytko, whose Chornobyl novel "The Sky Unwashed" has been well received by literary critics.

"We're just happy that we can help in this important humanitarian mission," said William LaCourciere, CEO of Novametrix who welcomed the CCRF delegation to the manufacturing plant. "Our company is glad to know that its products are helping to make a real difference in the lives of these unfortunate kids and newborns who are still being stricken with the long-term effects of the nuclear disaster."

CCRF Executive Director Alexander Kuzma thanked Mr. LaCourciere and plant manager Joel Maynard, as well as the director of international sales, Patrick Shannon, for arranging the donation of additional pulse oxymeters to the fund.

In previous years, the New Haven Chapter of CCRF has been a strong contributor to the fund's medical relief efforts. In 1995 the chapter hosted a special dinner honoring U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman and two Yale physicians, Dr. Jack van Hoff and Dr. Peter Beardsley, for their leadership in providing aid to Chornobyl victims.

More recently, volunteers from New Haven helped raise over $7,000 at the OpSail 2000 festival of tall ships in New London to help purchase a neonatal respirator for CCRF's partner hospital in Rivne. This year, former President of the New Haven Chapter Christine Melnyk also helped secure a donation of $26,000 worth of medical journals from the Yale Medical School's Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library.

"We're very grateful for all the creative efforts and initiatives that have been launched in support of the Chornobyl children here in the New Haven area," said Orest Dubno, a member of the CCRF board of directors. One year ago, CCRF opened a New Haven office with the help of local businessman Edward Harms.

Anyone interested in volunteering at the office or wishing to make a tax-deductible contribution is urged to call (203) 387-0507 or to write to CCRF, 1358 Whalley Ave., New Haven, CT 06515.

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