Memphis, TN - A gesture of humanitarian and medical goodwill from John Wood Ministries means Ukrainian Iryna Shevchenko will get the facial reconstructive surgery she needs to help restore function
April 7, 2007 (Press Release) --
Memphis Doctors Rebuilding Girl’s Face
Memphis, Tenn. (WHBQ -- A gesture of humanitarian and medical goodwill from John Wood Ministries means that over the next 18 months Iryna Shevchenko will get the facial reconstructive surgery she needs to help restore function and balance to her young face.
Dr. Robert Wallace of the UT Medical Group told Fox13: "Her problems now center around a loss of volume of her face, obviously excessive scarring on the right side of her face, a loss of a portion of her nose, a loss of a portion of the corner of her mouth, and a loss of her eye lid."
Wallace says the myriad of problems that started at birth as a vascular abnormality from Irina’s eye down to mouth. She had surgery as a baby. That was eventually followed by radiation, and skin grafts. The end result? Disfiguring scars and a loss of some facial functions.
Dr. Alexander Etnis, of Kiev, says the scars caused the 12 year old to become extremely shy and uncomfortable in public.
Dr. Etnis says: “When she first got to the U.S. this girl wasn’t very comfortable, because she was nervous. But now she can smile, so it’s getting better,
Not all of Iryna's visit has been confined to seeing specialists in Dr. Wallace's office. Her host family made plenty of time for pampering which included sight seeing, clothes shopping and facials.
And while she couldn't find the exact words for every question I asked, she, through Dr. Etnis, says she's never seen such nice people as she's met in the United States, Memphis especially.
Dr. Etnis told FOX13’s Maria Black: “She's impressed to see how all people ask, 'what can to do for this girl?' People don't know anything about this girl but they ask 'how I can help you.'"
And over the next year and a half that help will take shape literally right before her eyes
Memphis, Tenn. (WHBQ -- A gesture of humanitarian and medical goodwill from John Wood Ministries means that over the next 18 months Iryna Shevchenko will get the facial reconstructive surgery she needs to help restore function and balance to her young face.
Dr. Robert Wallace of the UT Medical Group told Fox13: "Her problems now center around a loss of volume of her face, obviously excessive scarring on the right side of her face, a loss of a portion of her nose, a loss of a portion of the corner of her mouth, and a loss of her eye lid."
Wallace says the myriad of problems that started at birth as a vascular abnormality from Irina’s eye down to mouth. She had surgery as a baby. That was eventually followed by radiation, and skin grafts. The end result? Disfiguring scars and a loss of some facial functions.
Dr. Alexander Etnis, of Kiev, says the scars caused the 12 year old to become extremely shy and uncomfortable in public.
Dr. Etnis says: “When she first got to the U.S. this girl wasn’t very comfortable, because she was nervous. But now she can smile, so it’s getting better,
Not all of Iryna's visit has been confined to seeing specialists in Dr. Wallace's office. Her host family made plenty of time for pampering which included sight seeing, clothes shopping and facials.
And while she couldn't find the exact words for every question I asked, she, through Dr. Etnis, says she's never seen such nice people as she's met in the United States, Memphis especially.
Dr. Etnis told FOX13’s Maria Black: “She's impressed to see how all people ask, 'what can to do for this girl?' People don't know anything about this girl but they ask 'how I can help you.'"
And over the next year and a half that help will take shape literally right before her eyes
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