CHICAGO – The Foundation of the Ukrainian Medical Association of North America (UMANA Foundation) has donated $10,000 to support and expand the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Blood and Bone Marrow Transplant Training program (BMT) in Ukraine. This program includes the training of Ukrainian physicians and establishment of BMT programs in Kyiv and Lviv.
On March 5, Dr. Maria Hrycelak, foundation president, and Dr. George Hrycelak, UMANA executive director, met with UIC’s Dr. Damiano Rondelli, Dr. Daniel Hryhorczuk, emeritus professor, University of Illinois School of Public Health, and Dr. Patricia Finn, chair of the Department of Medicine, to deliver a $10,000 donation to the Global BMT Training Program.
The UMANA Foundation raises funds during the annual Debutantes Banquet and Ball held by the UMANA Illinois branch in Chicago for a variety of medical educational causes. This year’s group of debutantes chose to help Ukraine develop its own BMT program in view of the lack of such treatment modalities in the country of 45 million people.
Currently, of the approximately 2,000 Ukrainians who need such therapy annually, only a few can seek treatment in foreign countries at enormous cost. Simply making such knowledge and training available on a local basis will allow thousands of patients access to state-of-the-art therapy close to home for many cancer and non-cancer diagnoses.
Dr. Maria Hrycelak coordinated efforts with UMANA member Dr. Hryhorczuk to contact Dr. Rondelli, the Michael Reese Professor of Hematology and director of the blood and marrow transplant clinic at the UIC College of Medicine. Dr. Rondelli and his team, having had great success instituting BMT programs in Nepal and India, considered developing such a program in Ukraine.
According to Dr. Rondelli, “In Kyiv, we hope to expand the type of transplants offered to include allogenic transplants, which allow for cells to be used from a donor. In other areas, we want to train doctors and help develop a sustainable transplant infrastructure.”
UMANA Foundation leaders said they are excited to offer significant funding to help get this program off to an auspicious start. The foundation’s president, Dr. Maria Hrycelak, stated: “Our foundation feels this is much more than good cause. It’s an opportunity to make a significant impact on the health of Ukrainians, and working with the UIC BMT group aligns exactly with our mission of medical education.”
The UMANA Foundation looks forward to continuing and promoting such educational endeavors for the benefit of Ukrainians worldwide. To support such efforts, readers may donate at www.umana.org.