Support Vital Pediatric Spine Surgeries in Ukraine

Hi, I'm Meghan. For the last 15 years I have worked on critical spine surgeries throughout the NY metro area. This summer, I'll be joining a medical mission to Ukraine to help children with severe progressive scoliosis. Please read below for more details. Thanks in advance for any support you can provide.

Progressive scoliosis is a condition that causes the spine to curve abnormally, increasing in severity over time. Severe cases lead to difficulty breathing and movement as well as excruciating pain that worsens with age. It can be extremely debilitating.

These pediatric cases are often too complex and dangerous to be treated in Ukraine, and more so now, three years into a war. Most medical professionals have been redeployed to the frontlines and the conditions for these patients have deteriorated while they have been unable to get the help they need.

Dr. Marc Dyrszka, an excellent spine surgeon I’ve known and worked with for years at New York Presbyterian Hospital, has taken it upon himself to fill this care gap by making annual trips to Lviv, Ukraine to complete as many of these corrective surgeries as he can. This year, Marc asked me to join the mission, and I accepted. The surgeries alleviate the suffering of children and change lives.

As the sole neuromonitoring practitioner on the surgical team, my role is to monitor the kids’ neural and nerve pathways during surgery, and ensure that they maintain as much of their motor and sensory function as possible. Working with Marc, we identify the boundaries of surgical intervention to maximize the best possible outcomes while minimizing the risks. It is a rare opportunity to use my niche skill set in such a meaningful way -- to help pediatric patients whose lives have been further complicated by war.

The trip is from late June to early July. We will need to bring supplies and equipment and cover all our own costs. If you feel so moved to offer financial assistance, we would be very grateful. In challenging times when it can be hard to know what to do, it’s a chance to participate and practice resistance to despair - to continue moving forward knowing that sometimes, some things can get better, and we can make a positive difference in the lives of others.

May peace and health prevail.

Sincerely,

Meghan

Where your money is going:

Medical supplies (several 50lb+ boxes) to be flown (escorted by Meghan Mullaney) to St. Nikolas Emergency Hospital – Pylypa Orylyka St, Lviv, Lviv Oblast, Ukraine, 79000

Airplane tickets 

Room and Board accommodations in Lviv, Ukraine, near enough to walk to the hospital where these surgeries will take place.

Dr. Maryan Orach, our lovely host spine surgeon will be there to receive us and is excited to learn and further hone techniques our team aims to impart.