CHORNOBYL CHRONICLECHILDREN OF CHORNOBYL RELIEF FUND NATIONAL NEWSLETTER Winter 2004 VOL. XXXI

In the past month, the world haswitnessed a series of breathtaking events inUkraine that have inspired us with newhope for a democratic future. As thisChronicle goes to print, there are still tensof thousands of citizens of all ages andwalks of life assembling in the heart ofKyiv, braving the cold, demanding changeand insisting on truth. Our Kyiv office isjust a few blocks from IndependenceSquare, the site of the huge encampmentthat has captured the attention of the world.All of us share a deep concern for the safe-ty and well-being of our friends, our part-ners, and our families.

Eighteen years ago, the Chornobylnuclear disaster shook the very foundationsof the Soviet Union. It spawned the firstgreat non-violent, democratic movement(RUKH) that eventually gave birth to anindependent Ukraine and helped to dis-member the Soviet Empire. That move-ment also gave birth to the Children ofChornobyl Relief Fund here in the UnitedStates. As we celebrate our 15thAnniversary, our hearts go out to the mil-lions of Ukrainians who have recognizedthe need for change and embraced theOrange Revolution.

Many of the activists occupying thestreets of Kyiv and other cities ARE thechildren of Chornobyl. They are still con-fronting the human legacy of the world'sworst environmental accident and defyingthe system that put such a low value onhuman life as to allow such a disaster to

happen. We have worked hard to save thelives of such children, and we continue ourmission as we aim to protect the next gen-eration from birth defects, AIDS, and a hostof other life-threatening illnesses that coulddecimate the Ukrainian population unlesswe in the West rise to the challenge. Givenbasic technology and training and hope, wehave seen our partners work wonders.Thanks to your generosity, they havereduced infant mortality and enabled chil-dren to overcome cancer. They have pro-vided corrective surgery for children withheart defects and facial deformities. Theyhave helped bring dignity to the lives of

orphans and in some cases, removed thebureaucrats who would have let orphansand sick children live in squalor.

Today, our mission is more impor-tant than ever. Despite the roadblocks thathave plagued their nation, the majority ofUkrainians have shown that they deservethe respect and the support of the worldcommunity. They aspire to forge a newnation where human rights are cherished,where courage and competency and initia-tive are rewarded. Ukrainians are striving tocreate a society where the needs and well-being of children are placed at a higherorder of priority, and it is our mission toprovide Ukraine's best and brightest withthe essential resources they need to protecthuman life and to create a decent future fortheir children.

As we prepare to celebrate theChristmas holidays and welcome the newyear, we ask you to keep Ukraine’s childrenand young people in your prayers. Weextend our gratitude to the many donorswho have made it possible to bring truehealing to the children facing life-threaten-ing illnesses, and we are grateful for themany volunteers, doctors, and nurses whohave helped us to facilitate our programs inUkraine. We wish all of you a very joyousholiday season, and we pray that in thiscoming year, you will be blessed with thedeep satisfaction and the countless rewardsthat come with every act of charity. Maythe beauty of Christ's message inspire all ofus to greater acts of love.“Kissing the Face of God” by Morgan Weistling

NATIONAL CONVENTION MARKS FIFTEENTH ANNIVERSARYOF FIRST MEDICAL MISSION TO UKRAINE

Paul Speaker, the MC for the banquet, His Grace Metropolitan Archbishop StefanSoroka of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, Nadia Matkiwsky, Alexander Kuzma, andDr. Zenon Matkiwsky stand beside the honorees: His Eminence Archbishop Antony

of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Father Bohdan Lukie, former pastor of St.John’s Parish in Newark, and Tanya Fesenko Vena, the Fund’s Financial Officer.

Romana Thibodeau speaks on the topic of corporate outreach. To her left are panel mem-bers Myron Holubiak, Board Member, Group President of HealthSTAR, Inc., and former

President of Roche Laboratories; Leonard Mazur, Board Member, Chief Executive Officerof Genesis Pharmaceutical, Inc., and President of the Ukrainian-American Ps&BsAssociation; and Karina Tarnawsky, Eastern European Public Relations Specialist.

From November 19 to the 21, theChildren of Chornobyl Relief Fund com-memorated the fifteenth anniversary of itsfirst medical shipment to Ukraine with aNational Convention at the RamadaConference Center in East Hanover, NewJersey. At its peak, the convention drewover 200 delegates, medical experts, and

supporters from 12 states. The President of the Children of

Chornobyl Relief Fund, Dr. ZenonMatkiwsky, opened the convention with aquote from the great anthropologistMargaret Meade: “Never underestimate thepower of a small but determined group ofpeople to change the world.” This quote

appropriately describes the persistence andefforts of all the individuals who dedicatedtheir time and financial aid to the Childrenof Chornobyl Relief Fund throughout thepast 15 years, contributing to its recognitionas the leading Ukrainian-American organi-zation providing medical aid to children inUkraine. (continued on pg. 6 )

October 16, Kyiv - In celebration of fifteen years of humanitarian work in Ukraine,the Children of Chornobyl Relief Fund held a gala fundraiser graciously hosted by theUnited States Ambassador to Ukraine, the Honorable John Herbst, and his wife, Mrs.Nadia Herbst, at their private residence. This exclusive fundraiser raised enough moneyto purchase and deliver one neonatal respirator and one infant warmer to the ChernihivCity Maternity Hospital's NICU.

The evening's program was directedby two masters of ceremonies: LubodarOlesnycky, the CEO of Micros RetailSystems, and Ostap Stupka, the renownedUkrainian actor of stage and screen.Throughout the evening, guests enjoyed thesounds of American jazz and the sight ofbeautiful art by Ukrainian and Georgianartists, on which they had a chance to bidduring the silent auction. A stunning RossSimon emerald ring with diamonds donatedby an anonymous donor sold for $1,500.

This was the second fundraiser that the Children ofChornobyl Relief Fund has held in Kyiv. It provided agood opportunity to introduce the charity's mission to topexecutives in Kyiv’s business community. "We were pleas-antly surprised at the very positive response we receivedfrom the Kyiv international community. In addition toexpressing their support as private donors and corporatesponsors, it was encouraging to learn of how many peopleworking and living in Kyiv would like to continue to helpus save children's lives," said Nadia Matkiwsky, theFund’s Co-Founder and Administrator.

The Children of ChornobylRelief Fund expresses itssincere gratitude toAmbassador and Mrs. JohnE. Herbst for hosting thischaritable event, and to the Ukraine Advisory Board fortheir support and dedication in making this evening possi-ble. The Fund also thanks the international corporationsworking in Ukraine who stepped forward as sponsors,including Perry Construction, U.S. Optics, Unilever, MetroCash & Carry, which donated all of the evening's Frenchwine, The Kyiv Post, the Children of Chornobyl ReliefFund's exclusive Ukrainian media sponsor, AmericanMedical Centers, Winner Imports Ukraine, AES Ukraine,Premier Palace Hotel, Hetman-Furshet, Nestle Nutrition,British Airways, Radioaktive Films, Sandora, OTIS ZAT,Rubicon Capital, and Coca-Cola Beverages Ukraine.

U.S. AMBASSADOR HOSTS FUNDRAISER FOR THE CHILDREN OF CHORNOBYL RELIEF FUND AT HIS HOME

by Olena Nyzhnykevych

Nadia Matkiwsky, Lubodar Olesnycky, Nadia Herbst, Ambassador John Herbst and Dr.Zenon Matkiwsky during the Fund’s fundraiser at the Ambassador’s residence in Kyiv.

The Fund’s Ukraine Advisory Board Member MyronRabij meets with Rodney Seddon of the Venik Trust andDr. Zenon Matkiwsky.

Victoria Kravchuk, the Fund’sSecretary in Ukraine, showcases oneof the paintings that was sold duringthe silent auction.

Olena Nyzhnykevych, the Fund’s In-Country Director, introduces JedSunden of The Kyiv Post, the Fund’sexclusive media sponsor.

Lubko and Ulana Mandrusiak meet with NadiaMoshcuk and her husband Anatoliy Moshchuk, thePresident of U.S. Optics, one of the event’s sponsors.

Yaroslw Zakharov from Nestle takes a picture with OlyaDatsenko, the Fund’s Office Administrator in Ukraine,Lubodar Olesnycky, and Volodya Mitin of NZ Techno.

The Children of ChornobylRelief Fund family is happyand proud to announce themarriage of our In-Country

Director, Olena Welhasch toMr. Yuri Nyzhnykevych on

November 27, 2004.Congratulations and many

years of health and happiness!

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In-Country Director Olena Nyzhnykevych stands withDeputy Yavorivsky , Dr. Millia Markiv, and the headof the neonatal intensive care unit from the YavorivCentral Regional Hospital at the opening of the NICU.

May 25, Yavoriv - The Yavoriv CentralRegional Hospital held an official openingof its neonatal intensive care unit withDeputy Volodymyr Yavorivsky, theNational Deputy of the Yavoriv Region,in attendance. The event was marked bythe installation of two newly donatedpieces of equipment, including a refur-bished ARIDYNE Model 3100Compressor donated by Fischer & Paykelthrough NZ Techno, and a brand newhumidifier MR850 donated by Mr.Joseph Studholme of New Zealand. Thehospital staff was elated by this donationthat finally completed their unit and willallow them to save the lives of manymore children in the coming years.Additional equipment and supplies stillneeded at the Yavoriv hospital includetwo infant warmers, a NICU aspirator,and Vicryl, braided, self-absorbingsutures for general surgery, size 2-3.

NEWS FROM UKRAINE

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For two weeks this August, a group ofnine compassionate young adults from theUkrainian Orthodox Church, U.S.A. volun-teered at two orphanages in Ukraine that arehome to hundreds of severely disabled chil-dren. The missionary team (pictured right)was led by Father Taras Naumenko, the pastorof Saints Peter and Paul Church outside ofChicago. The team was accompanied byOlena Nyzhnykevych, Maryana Voronovichand Viktoria Kravchuk from the Children ofChornobyl Relief Fund Ukraine.

This was the second youth mission tripto the Znamyanka (Kirovohrad region) andZaluchya (Ivano-Frankivsk region) orphanagesconducted by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church,U.S.A. since the Church first adopted thesetwo orphanages in 2000. The greatest high-light of the trip was witnessing the positivechanges that have taken place at the orphan-ages since last summer’s missionary trip andbeing able to brighten the children’s summerswith love, attention, and quality play time.Many of the orphans recognized the returninggroup members and would often ask, with ahopeful look in their eyes, if the volunteerswould return once again next summer.

The schedule at both orphanages wasvery similar. Each day started with a prayerservice led by Father Taras followed by variousgames and projects for which the volunteersbroke into small groups and took a manage-able amount of children for the given activity.Puppet shows were a great success, anddepending on the children’s age and ability, theshows were either a simple story or an interac-

tive game between the volunteer with puppetsand the children. This year, a trained specialeducation teacher, Megan Campbell-Szwez,spent eight weeks at Znamyanka to help thestaff acquire new techniques for working withdisabled children.

At the Zaluchya orphanage, the volun-teers painted the walls of three bathrooms,decorating the walls of two of them with muralsof animals and ocean life. In Znamyanka, themissionary team purchased a playpen toreplace an old one with rusty nails, as well asadditional sheets. The team also purchasedmats to cover the floor of another woodenplaypen. John Charest, who is trained in phys-ical therapy, worked with the physical thera-pists at both orphanages and shared hisknowledge and supplies for treating childrenwith physical disabilities. All the volunteersalso helped to feed the bed-ridden childrenevery day. Between activities, the volunteersplayed educational games with the kids - theybrought Memory, Candyland, and UNO, color-ing books, sidewalk chalk, and beads to makebracelets.

During the trip, a Special Olympics washeld at each orphanage, which was thefavorite event at both places. Children racedbikes, walkers, wheelchairs or ran if theycould. In addition to providing the orphanswith a memorable activity, the SpecialOlympics were also appreciated by the staff,who had never considered organizing such anevent. The most rewarding part of this experi-ence for the volunteers was to see the childrenhelp one another so compassionately to finishthe race. In a few instances, children evennegotiated to lease a wheelchair from anotherchild to take part in the race.

While the trip was filled with many won-derful moments, the volunteers also struggledwith sorrow during their stay at the orphan-

ages. The most heartbreaking part of the tripwas when the missionary team visited theZaluchya cemetery to pray for the deceasedchildren, shedding many tears over the fivechildren who died in the past year.

At each institution, the trip concludedwith a Healing Service for the children that wasfollowed by an amateur, but very enthusiasti-cally enacted, version of the Wizard of Oz. Itwas a great way to wish the kids the best andexplain that the group was following Dorothyback home to the United States.

This summer’s missionary trip seemedto be a traveling children’s day camp. Theactivities allowed the missionaries to work insmall groups to get to know the children in theshort time allotted. The volunteers’ love for theorphans of Znamyanka and Zaluchya wasexpressed in their caring approach and in theirdesire to play with the children during everyfree moment. The Children of ChornobylRelief Fund is truly thankful to these young vol-unteers for their selflessness and sincere dedi-cation to the children of the Znamyanka andZaluchya orphanages. The Fund is also grate-ful to Archbishop Antony and the UkrainianOrthodox Church, U.S.A. for adopting twoorphanages that so desperately needed theirmaterial and spiritual help.

MISSIONARY TRIP BRINGSNEW HOPE TO DISABLED

CHILDREN IN UKRAINEby Olena Nyzhnykevych

Archbishop Antony (center) with this year’s UOC Missionary Team: (from left to right, back row) StephenHaluszczak, David Delaney, Father Taras Naumenko, John Charest, Nicole Beck, (front row) Natalie Beck,Karen Erickson, Maria Carman, and Sara Siegal,

A favorite activity was potting plants. Missionaryteam members Maria Carman and Sara Siegal helpMisha, Yana, Shura and others with their task.

Olena Nyzhnykevych urges the participants of the Znamyanka Special Olympics to ride faster towards the finish line! Team member Nicole beck blows a kiss to Aloshka.

Maryana Voronovich and John Charest perform physicaltherapy on Nastya. Nastya was born with cerebral palsyand could not walk until the Children of Chornobyl ReliefFund, thanks to the funding provided by the UkrainianOrthodox Church, was able to hire a physical therapist torehabilitate a few of the disabled orphans. Nastya cannow walk - even without somebody holding her hand!

UOC MISSION TRIP TO UKRAINE

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During the fall, a dozen neonatologists and perinatologists from regionsthroughout Ukraine visited the Kyiv office of the Children of ChornobylRelief Fund following a conference. The office staff gave them extracopies of books from the Children of Chornobyl Relief Fund’s April 2004Conference on Infant Cardiac Birth Defects. With much gratitude, thephysicians accepted the medical manuals, including the infant cardiacdefects book, books on newborn care, and books on prenatal care. Dr.Maryna Kostyleva from the Luhansk City Maternity Hospital stated that ather hospital, the staff made copies of the very first book that the Childrenof Chornobyl Relief Fund translated and published on neonatal intensivecare and circulated them. She was delighted to be the owner of a secondvolume. The doctors wished the Kyiv staff all the very best to stay strongand continue the Children of Chornobyl Relief Fund’s important work.

In late October, the Children of Chornobyl Relief Fundreceived a heart-warming letter fromthe chief doctor of the OdessaRegional Children's Hospital thankingthe Fund for the neonatal equipmentthat was purchased and installed dur-ing the summer of 2004 and for thethree ambulances previously deliv-ered in 2002 as part of the Viktoryfor Kids Campaign. This past sum-mer, the Children of Chornobyl ReliefFund enhanced the capabilities of theOdessa hospital by installing a state-of-the-art neonatal respirator, pulseoximeter, and other technologyfinanced by the charity skating galain Danbury, CT.

Two years ago, after the firstViktory for Kids ice-skating gala, theChildren of Chornobyl Relief Funddelivered three neonatal stations and

three ambulances to the Odessa hos-pital. According to Dr. OleksandrLiman, the ambulances have provid-ed 1,800 emergency transports forchildren from across the OdessaRegion. They have also enabled thehospital to drive 1,573 children to

hospitals in the capital city of Kyiv forspecialized treatment, "Thanks toyou, we have been able shorten thetime of delivery of children from theremotest corners of our (region), anda wonderful new opportunity hasarisen to save the lives and improvethe quality of treatment for many ail-ing patients." The ambulances weredonated by the company AmericanMedical Response, based in NewHaven, CT. They were professionallyrepainted with Ukrainian languagedecals and the Children of ChornobylRelief Fund's logo by graphic artistRoman Radawec. The Fund is grate-ful to Mr. Robert Latorraca, thePresident and CEO of AmericanMedical Response who made thisdonation possible at the request ofOrest Dubno, a member of our Boardof Directors. At this time, the Fundis looking to secure one more ambu-lance for Amosov Institute of CardiacSurgery in Kyiv as well as spare partsfor ambulances previously donated tohospitals in Lutsk and Odessa.

A TRUE

Dr. Olena Surtseva, the Head of the NICU at theOdessa Regional Children’s Hospital, examines twinbaby boy Klebnikov, who is 7 days old in this photo.

A girl with severe head trauma was brought to the Odessa Regional Children’sHospital in the ambulance procured by the Children of Chornobyl Relief Fund.This ambulance has enabled the hospital to drive over 1,800 emergency transportsfor children across the Odessa Region.

Baby Havrilov from the town of Rozdilna was born at 31 weeks of gestation, weighingjust under 3 lbs. In the picture, he is 10 days old and breathing with the help of a ventila-tor provided by the Children of Chornobyl Relief Fund, Vikotry for Kids Campaign, 2003.

The Children of Chornobyl ReliefFund is pleased to announce a new part-nership that the Fund has forged withMr. Rodney Seddon and a London-based charity working to save the livesof children stricken with leukemia. Mr.Seddon has entrusted the Children ofChornobyl Relief Fund with the task ofestablishing a PCR laboratory at theKyiv Children’s Clinical Hospital(Oxmadyt) under the direction of Dr.Larissa Donska. During the FifteenthAnniversary Convention in November,Mr. Seddon also announced that he isworking with the Children of ChornobylRelief Fund to develop a bone marrowtransplant facility in Ukraine. The executive staff is very grateful for Mr.Seddon’s initiative in seeking effectivesolutions to Ukraine’s health crisis.

THE CHILDREN OFCHORNOBYL RELIEF FUNDPARTNERS WITH LONDONBENEFACTOR TO COMBAT

CHILDREN’S LEUKEMIA

NEWS FROM UKRAINE

On June 9th, Metropolitan ArchbishopStefan Soroka of the Ukrainian CatholicArchdiocese of Philadelphia presented a checkto the Children of Chornobyl Relief Fund inthe amount of $20,000 to develop an HIV test-ing center in Lviv. Together with a grant fromthe Ukrainian Medical Association of NorthAmerica (UMANA) and the Children ofChornobyl Relief Fund, this donation will gotowards a program to diagnose HIV infectionsin pregnant women in order to prevent thetransmission of the virus from mother to child.In cases where children have already contract-ed HIV, the center will treat the children byproviding anti-retroviral medications that haveproven extremely effective in eliminating alltraces of the virus in newborns. Dr. ZenonMatkiwsky, the Children of Chornobyl ReliefFund’s President, and Alexander Kuzma,Executive Director, were present at the meet-ing. “We are very proud of the newMetropolitan of the Ukrainian Catholic Churchfor having the vision to act in combating theHIV crisis affecting Ukraine today,” said Dr.Matkiwsky. “Because of the Church’s involve-ment, this program will have a powerful impactin raising public awareness of the dangers ofthis infectious disease.”

UMANA’s former president, Dr. IhorVoyevidka, initiated a meeting with Dr.Matkiwsky during which they discussed theseverity of the health crisis in Ukraine, specifi-cally the AIDS epidemic in Ukraine that,according to the latest findings by WorldHealth Organization, has one of the fastest-growing rates of HIV in Europe. Following thismeeting, the UMANA Board approved a seedgrant of $10,000 at their summit in May of2003 to begin the process of developing anAIDS testing facility in Lviv.

The first phase of the program was toprovide physician training at the University ofMedicine and Dentistry of New Jersey(UMDNJ). Under the tutelage of ProfessorThomas Denny, a member of the Children ofChornobyl Relief Fund’s Board of Directors

and the Principal Investigator of the Divisionof AIDS Immunology Quality AssessmentProgram at UMDNJ, Dr. Olena Baran from theLviv Perinatal Center underwent an intensivefour-week training program to implement prop-er PCR testing techniques. Dr. Baran, Directorof the Infectious Disease Testing Laboratory,worked closely with Mr. Denny and his associ-ates, Dr. Dan Lewis, the Head of MolecularVirology at UMDNJ, and Dr. Richard Stevens,Head of the Serology Lab at UMDNJ. For thenext phase of this project, Prof. Denny willtravel to Ukraine to supervise the installationof the AIDS testing equipment and to providethe final assessment of the Lviv PCR lab.

UKRAINIAN CATHOLICCHURCH DONATES $20,000

FOR AIDS LABORATORY

His Grace Metropolitan Archbishop Stefan Soroka pres-ents a check for $20,000 to Dr. Zenon Matkiwsky andAlexander Kuzma from the Fund.

The Children of Chornobyl Relief Fund ishappy to report that Mariyka Tkachuk, who suf-fered from an infection that destroyed hernasal cavity and palate, has returned to Ukraineafter the successful completion of a series ofsurgeries that allowed her to breathe withoutthe aid of the tracheostomy tube. The Fundextends a sincere thank you to a number of indi-viduals who contributed towards Mariyka’s med-ical treatment: Dr. Andrew and ValerieBurachinsky and their family who shared theirresidence with Mariyka and her mother foreight months, Dr. Oleh Slupchynskyj and Dr. JayDolitsky who donated their professional talentto perform a series of operations at no cost, theVena family, especially Alexis, who briefly host-ed Mariyka and her mother, Nadia Matkiwskyand Tanya Vena who traveled to the hospital inNew York City on many early mornings withMariyka, and all the donors who contributedfinancially towards covering the cost ofMariyka’s treatment.

Surrounding Mariyka are her adopted family,Volodymyr Welyczkowski and Dr. Andrew andMrs. Valerie Burachinsky, her mother Vera, andDr. Oleh Korniychuk, her doctor in Kyiv.

Professor Thomas Denny awards Dr. Olena Baran witha certificate verifying her completion of the intensivetraining program at the immunology laboratory ofUMDNJ. To his right sits Dr. Dan Lewis. Dr. RichardStevens sits to his left.

AN UPDATE ON MARIYKA...

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THE CHILDREN OF CHORNOBYL RELIEF FUND BUILDING ITS FUTURE As of December 7, the Children of

Chornobyl Relief Fund has fulfilled its initialcommitment of $100,000 to the UkrainianCultural Center of New Jersey in HanoverTownship to secure 1,000 square feet of officespace in the facility that will be its new home.Co-founder and President Dr. ZenonMatkiwsky and Executive Director AlexanderKuzma presented a check for $94,000 to OrestKucyna, the chairman of the BuildingCommittee for the UCCNJ. Combined withearlier installments of $6,000, the Children ofChornobyl Relief Fund has now contributed$100,000 to the construction of the UCCNJ.“We are proud to support the vision of theUCCNJ which will be a vibrant center of com-munity life in New Jersey,” said AlexanderKuzma. “Thanks to the success of ourConvention fundraising, and thanks to the gen-erosity of several donors who channeled their

major gifts to the UCCNJ through the Childrenof Chornobyl Relief Fund, we are pleased tomake this investment in the future U.S. head-quarters of our humanitarian mission.” TheChildren of Chornobyl Relief Fund is verygrateful to Mr. & Mrs. Lubodar and ZeniaOlesnycky, Mr. Leonard Mazur, Dr. andMrs. Andrew and Valerie Burachinsky, Dr.Zenon and Mrs. Nadia Matkiwsky, and theUkrainian Cultural Heritage Foundation fortheir major gifts earmarked for the UCCNJcampaign. The Children of ChornobylRelief Fund has taken extensive measures toapply for challenge grants, corporate match-ing gifts, and private contributions to makethis dream a reality. In the coming year, weencourage our supporters to join in thisintensive capital campaign for the comple-tion of this project and to consider a signifi-cant gift earmarked for the creation of the

foundation’s new home. Tax-deductible dona-tions earmarked for the UCCNJ Building Fundmay be sent to the Children of ChornobylRelief Fund, 272 Old Short Hills Road, ShortHills, NJ 07078.

Dr. Zenon Matkiwsky and Alexander Kuzma present a checkto Orest Kucyna, the chairman of the UCCNJ BuildingCommittee in the presence of Rev. Roman Mirchuk .

(continued from pg. 1) The convention featured pre-sentations by medical experts from Kyiv, London,New York, Chicago, and other cities. Among themost prominent speakers were Dr. William Novick, acardiac surgeon from Memphis featured in the Oscar-winning documentary "Chernobyl Heart," who has

performed life-saving operationson many children suffering fromcongenital heart defects, and Dr.Wolodymyr Wertelecki, theChairman of Genetics at theUniversity of SouthernAlabama, who is a renownedgeneticist presently conductinga massive USAID-funded studyin the Volynian and Rivenskaregions of Ukraine. Both Dr.

Novick and Dr. Wertelecki shared their findings on the unusually high inci-dence of certain types of rare birth defects found in Ukrainian children.

The Fund invited three doctors from Ukraine to describe the impact ofthe aid that the Fund has delivered to their partner hospitals. Dr. Ilya Yemets,the Chief Infant Cardiac Surgeon and Director of theInfant and Pediatric Cardiac Center in Kyiv, presentedstatistics regarding the 6,000- 8,000 children born inUkraine each year with cardiacbirth defects. Dr. Yemets’ center isthe only center in Ukraine capableof operating on infants, perform-ing 380 such operations per year.Dr. Valeriy Rutsky, the Director ofthe Volynian Regional Children'sMedical Center in Lutsk, showedslides of the new technology pro-vided by the Fund, includingneonatal intensive care stations,an ambulance, a "super modern" endoscopy system, a chromosome analyzer,and surgical supplies. Dr. Oleh Korniychuk, a talented neonatologist from KyivCity Children's Hospital No. 2, expressed his gratitude for the medical trainingprograms that the Fund has implemented for NIC specialists. He recognized Dr.Morris Cohen, Dr. Robert Shaddy, Dr. Andriy Bilyk and Renell Leichty, a nursefrom Ft. Wayne, IN, who participated in the convention with her husband Phil.

On Friday, the con-vention provided aunique opportunity forthe Fund's activists andchapter leaders toshare their experiencesin organizing fundrais-ers, reaching out tocorporate sponsors,and securing presscoverage on the conse-quences of theChornobyl disaster.

Chapter Presidents Lesia Telega (Rochester), Dr. Chrystina Petrykiw(Chicago), Julie Nesteruk (Hartford), and Buffalo delegate Yuri Hreshchyshynpresented reports on some of their chapters' notable successes. Natalie Nixon,the Director of the Ukrainian Orthodox Youth Ministries, provided a movingreport on the progress that has been made and the challenges that children stillface at the Znamyanka and Zaluchya Orphanages for severely disabled chil-dren. Mrs. Nixon reported that in the past year, none of the orphans inZnamyanka have died while previously an average of seven orphans from theorphanage died each year. The Director of the orphanage attributes this statis-tic to the presence of the Holy Spirit that came along with the missionaries.

One of the most sobering workshops addressed the rapidly spreadingAIDS epidemic in Ukraine. The Fund's Board Member Professor ThomasDenny of the Department of Immunology at UMDNJ served as the moderatorof the panel that urged the Fund's supporters to become active in the campaignto combat AIDS. "Let's not allow Ukraine to repeat the terrible mistakes madeby countries like Burkina Faso and Guyana that turned their backs on this cri-sis when it was still in its infancy." Dr. Arlene Bardeguez, an obstetricianfrom UMDNJ, and Dr. Roxolana Horbowyj of the George Washington MedicalCenter tried to impress on the audience that "we could lose entire generationsof Ukrainians to this disease." They both commended the joint projectbetween the Fund, the Ukrainian Catholic Church, and UMANA to establish a

testing laboratory in Lviv tohelp prevent the mother-to-childtransmission of the HIV virus.

The culmination of the con-vention was the banquet withPaul Speaker, President of RKOProductions, as the Master ofCeremonies. The banquet hon-ored three individuals who per-sonally contributed their time,efforts, and their support to thechildren of Ukraine.

His Eminence Archbishop Antony began working with the Fund eightyears ago, when he co-hosted the 10th Anniversary Banquet with the Fund. In1999, he instated an orphanage program and has since encouraged theUkrainian Orthodox Church, U.S.A. to contribute over $200,000 for the careof severely disabled children in Zaluchya and Znamyanka and neonates in theChernihiv Hospital. He personally visited the Zaluchya Orphanage with asmall delegation of parishioners and blessed each child in 2003.

In 1989, Fr.Bohdan Lukie ralliedthe community of St.John's Parish inNewark, NJ to donate,pack, and deliver whatbecame the Fund's firsthumanitarian ship-ment. In 1990, Fr.Lukie introduced theFund to the CatholicMedical MissionBoard, an organizationwith which the Fund was able to cooperate in the delivery of over $10 millionworth of vital medicines and hospital supplies.

Nadia Matkiwsky presented a humanitarian award to Tanya FesenkoVena, the Fund's financial officer who has been working with the organizationsince the beginning and volunteers at the office on a daily basis. Mrs.Matkiwsky praised Mrs. Vena for her dedicated service, for the fiscal disci-pline she has instilled in the Fund's operations, and for her loyal friendship.

During the banquet, several major donors presented checks to theFund in support of their programs in Ukraine: Professor and Mrs. VolodymyrBakum donated $20,000; Dr. Alexander Andriuk, Mr. & Mrs. Andrij Andriuk,and Mr. Mark Andriuk made a combined donation of $20,000 in memory oftheir parents Col. Basil and Martha Andriuk; Archbishop Antony donated$15,000 for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-supported orphanage programs;and Lesia Telega, President of the Fund's Rochester Chapter, presented a checkfor $10,000 for the Ivano-Frankivsk City Maternity Hospital.

Towards the conclusion of the pro-gram, the Fund recognized Dr. Andrew &Mrs. Valerie Burachinsky for hostingMariyka Tkachuk and her mother duringan 8-month period when Mariyka under-went a series of surgeries to restore herbreathing passage. The Fund also thankedDr. Jay Dolitsky and Dr. OlehSlupchynskyj who operated on Mariyka.

The Fund extends a sincere thank youto all the sponsors, donors, and volunteerswho helped make the convention such asuccess, in particular the Greater HartfordChapter, Aesculap, PNC Bank, theRochester Credit Union, and all the donorswho contributed towards the Program

Book. The Fund especially thanks the following volunteers: Andrey Mykyta,Alexis Vena, Kathleen Parsons, Erik Burachinsky, Adriana Helbig, MariaProskurenko-Welhasch, Vera Owen, Daria Knarvik, Markian Hadzewycz, PeterMatkiwsky, Adrian Jachens, Andriy Rud, Chrystina Baranetsky, Larissa Nycz,and the Plast girlscouts from NewarkGroup Number 20.The Fund thanksLubodar Olesnyckyfor editing the hon-oree slide shows,and HeiromonkDaniel Zelinsky,Ksenia Hapij,Helena Milanytch,and Damien Venafor working with theconvention commit-tee in order to reachout to the friends ofthe honorees.

Dr. Wolodymyr Werteleckiabove, and Dr. WilliamNovick, right, presenttheir findings on childrenwith genetic and cardiacdefects in Ukraine.

Dr. Valeriy Rutsky, above,and Dr. Ilya Yemets, left,outline the success oftheir partnership with theFund .

Kalyna Butler from the Children of Chornobyl CanadianFund, Natalie Nixon and her husband, Ethan, NadiaMatkiwsky and Alexander Kuzma following Friday’sChapter Reports and Natalie’s presentation.

Dr. Arlene Bardeguez and Prof. Thomas Dennyspeak about the AIDS epidemic in Ukraine.

The audience listens attentively to the workshop sessions: in the front, Lesia Telega,Ksenia Salewycz, Nadia Matkiwsky, Dr. Ihor Voyevidka, and in the second row, DariaKnarvik, Valerie Burachinsky, Dr. Andrew Burachinsky, Farther Bohdan Lukie

Inya Chehade moderates the Saturday fundraising panelthat included Paula Hunchar of the Cancer Institute ofNew Jersey and Vira Popel of Johnson & Johnson.

Dr. Oleh Slupchynskyj speaks as theimage of Mariyka and Vera Tkachukis projected behind him.

Volunteers at the convention included (standing) Alexis Vena,Andrey Mykyta, Markian Hadzewycz, (seated) PeterMatkiwsky and Alexa Milanytch. Not pictured: Vera Owen,Daria Knarvik, Andriy Rud, and Adrian Jachens.

6

NATIONAL CONVENTION

Children of Chornobyl Relief Fund, Inc.

Children of Chornobyl Relief Fund, USA Children of Chornobyl Relief Fund, Ukraine272 Old Short Hills Rd. Short Hills, NJ 07078 vul. Khreshchatyk, 25/28, Kyiv, Ukraine 252001tel: 973-376-5140 fax: 973-376-4988 tel: + 044.494.1535 fax: + 044.494.1536email: info@childrenofchornobyl.org email: ccrf@voliacable.com

www.childrenofchornobyl.org

Board of Directors Executive Staff Ukraine OfficeDr. Zenon Matkiwsky, President Alexander Kuzma, Executive Director Olena Nyzhnykevych, In-Country DirectorThomas Denny Nadia Matkiwsky, Administrator Olya Datsenko, AdministratorOrest Dubno Tanya Fesenko Vena, Financial Officer Viktoria Kravchuk, SecretaryOrest Fedash Lisa Milanytch, Director of Procurement Maryana Voronovich, Press LiaisonMyron Holubiak Valerie Burachinsky, Cargo CoordinatorNadia Matkiwsky Editorial StaffLeonard Mazur Lisa Milanytch, Editor-in-ChiefJoseph Vena Alexander Kuzma, Contributing EditorMelanne Verveer Alexis Vena

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ttoo bbeenneeffiitt tthhee CChhiillddrreenn ooff CChhoorrnnoobbyyll RReelliieeff FFuunndd

- Tax Deductible- Free Pickup- Car, Truck, or Van- Any Condition

Call Greg Intile: (973) 650-11408or

the National Office: (973) 376-55140

DONATE YOUR USED CAR

SSAAVVEE AA LLIIFFEE!!

8

May 8, Irondequoit, NY - At St. Mary’s UkrainianOrthodox Church Hall, the Irondequoit Rotaryhosted its Second International Benefit DinnerDance to benefit the Poltava Maternity Hospitalneonatal intensive care unit in Ukraine. In 1999, thePoltava Maternity Hospital was able toreduce infant mortality from 17.3% to6.3% in 2003 due to the infusion ofstate-of-the-art equipment provided bythe Rochester community and theChildren of Chornobyl Relief Fund.

Chaired by Therese Corrigan-Bastuk, the evening had an interna-tional theme and featured performanc-es from a variety of groups and indi-viduals, including the Drumcliffe IrishDancers, a Turkish dance group, MattKroetz on his German zither, LenHawley and his Italian melodies, andthe “Yevshan” and “Dunay” Ukrainiandance ensembles. Professional dancersTaras and Wendy Denysenko stunned

the crowd with their rendition of a number of Latindances. Throughout the evening, MCs Les Kuzubaand Lydia Dzus entertained the crowd.

Between performances, Mrs. Corrigan-Bastuk introduced the local dignitaries and JimKozlowski, the President of the Irondequoit RotaryClub, who spoke about the Rotary’s renewed com-mitment to international causes. Ann Kornylo, thePresident of the Irondequoit-Poltava Sister Cities,delivered remarks thanking everyone for their par-ticipation. The speeches were followed by a briefpresentation of awards from the Ukrainian ConsulIhor Sybiha, Rochester Chapter President LesiaTelega, and the Fund’s Director of ProcurementLisa Milanytch.

The event was a great success, with acapacity crowd of over 250 people. The Childrenof Chornobyl Relief Fund is soliciting additionalfunds for the purchase of medical equipment for thePoltava Maternity Hospital NICU as well as otherhospital partnerships.

IRONDEQUOIT ROTARY HOSTS GALA DINNER-DANCE TOBENEFIT POLTAVA MATERNITY HOSPITAL

The Children of Chornobyl ReliefFund would like make the followingcorrections to its 2003 Annual Report:

- the Kerhonkson Chapter donated $1500- Mr. & Mrs. D. Owen should read Mrs.

Vera Owen, who donated $1000- Mr. David Owen donated $100

Organizers and distinguished guests meet at the gala fundraiser hostedby the Irondequoit Rotary Club.

Lesia Telega presents a certificate to Jim Kozlowski,President of the Irondequoit Rotary Club, and to AnnKornylo, President of Irondequoit-Poltava Sister Cities

BE A VISIONARY !REMEMBER THE CHILDREN

IN YOUR “ZAPOVIT”One of the first poems that every

Ukrainian schoolchild is required to memorize isTaras Shevchenko’s “Zapovit” – the final “Willand Testament” in which this great human rightschampion described the legacy he hoped to leavefor future generations.

Unfortunately, many Americans whocare deeply about Ukraine and the children ofChornobyl forget to follow Shevchenko’s exam-ple. They forget to write their own Zapovit.Your will and estate can be a powerful instru-ment in promoting your vision for a newUkraine, where children can live in a healthier,more democratic environment.

By designating a portion of your estateto the Children of Chornobyl Relief Fund, youcan reap important tax benefits and you can planyour future with the comfort of knowing that youare leaving a cherished legacy for some of theworld’s neediest and most deserving children.

The Fund is very grateful to the manyindividuals who have remembered to include theChildren of Chornobyl in their estate planning.This fall, we send a special prayer for the soul ofour beloved friend, Bill Derlycia, whose estaterecently contributed over $84,000 for theChildren of Chornobyl. Planned gifts such asthese have helped us to build strategic partner-ships with Ukrainian hospitals.

If you have not yet drawn up your will,please contact the National Office or AlexanderKuzma at (860) 652-0458. Your legacy will notbe forgotten by the children of Ukraine.

PROCUREMENT REPORT: THE CHILDREN OF CHORNOBYL RELIEF FUND LAUNCHES

FIFTEENTH SEA SHIPMENT TO UKRAINEIn December, the Children of Chornobyl Relief Fund launched its fifteenth sea shipment

laden with humanitarian aid to Ukraine. The shipment included:* 1 brand-new Cardiocap5 cardiac monitor donated by Datex Ohmeda* 5 brand-new pulse oximeters donated by Nellcor Puritan Bennett* 2 factory refurbished respirators donated by Viasys Healthcare* 2 refurbished GE cardiac monitors* Additional brand-new probes and clamps for the endoscopy machine in Lutsk

donated by Olympus Medical* A factory refurbished ultrasound donated by Ambassador Medical* Sutures donated by Aesculap* Syringes donated by International Aid* Surgical and general hospital supplies and orphanage relief donated by

Americares, Catholic Medical Mission Board, and UMDNJIn total, more than $500,000 worth of aid is being shipped to partner hospitals in

Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Lviv, Odessa, Rivne, Lutsk, and the Znamyanka Orphanage. Aboardthis shipment are reagents and tubing for dialysis machines in the Lviv Specialized Children’sClinical Hospital purchased by Project Lifeline. A special thank you to all the donors who gavein-kind contributions. In particular, the Children of Chornobyl Relief Fund thanks the volunteerswho helped assemble and pack this shipment: Alexa Milanytch, Valerie Burachinsky, KathleenParsons, and Adrienne Burachinsky.

Kathleen Parsons, Valerie Burachinsky and AlexaMilanytch sort, pack, and label a humanitarian pallet des-tined for the Odessa Regional Children’s Hospital.

The Kerhonkson, NYChapter of the Childrenof Chornobyl ReliefFund is saddened toreport the death of Dr.Oleh Wolansky, picturedright, who served formany years as the treas-urer of this small buteffective support group.Dr. Wolansky worked for over 25 years as a psy-chiatrist with the New York State Department ofMental Health. He was highly regarded by manyof his colleagues in the medical community inUpstate New York and within the Ukrainian-American community. He leaves behind his son,Dr. Leo Wolansky, a prominent New Jersey radi-ologist who served on the Board of Directors anddaughter Bohdanna Wolanska, a distinguishedmusician and composer in New York City anddirector of the Promin Choral Ensemble. Thanksto the leadership and sound financial manage-ment of Dr. Wolansky, the Kerhonkson chapterhas raised thousands of dollars for the Fund'shospital partnerships in Lviv, Lutsk and Kyiv.All of us at the Children of Chornobyl ReliefFund extend our condolences to Dr. Wolansky'schildren and grandchildren and his manyesteemed friends and colleagues in theKerhonkson area.

August 28, Danbury, CT - The Holy TrinityOrthodox Church in Danbury held its 8th Annual5-K Road Race to benefit the Children ofChornobyl Relief Fund. Despite unusually hot andhumid conditions, the race attracted a record 177runners, including the first field of wheelchair con-testants. The overall winner was repeat championSergio Ribeiro of Waterbury who finished the hillycourse in 15 minutes 48 seconds. The overall win-ner in the women’s division was Amy Hurtubise ofDanbury who finished in 19:31 and 12th overall.Prof. Richard Asselta of Western Connecticut StateUniversity was the first winner in the wheelchairclass in 18:17. All runners who finished the coursewere treated to the parish’s famous stuffed piero-gies and other items donated by local restaurants.The sponsors included Wachovia Securities, JosephA. Bank Clothiers, the Ukrainian Self RelianceNew England Federal Credit Union, Dr. LorraineFedyna Realty, and Poncho & Gringo’s Restaurant.Since 1996, the Holy Trinity parish has raisedthousands of dollars for the Children of ChornobylRelief Fund’s medical programs in Ukraine. Theroad race received extensive coverage in theDanbury News Times and was included in thenational listings in Runners World Magazine.

October 9, Hartford, CT - The Executive Directorof the Children of Chornobyl Relief Fund fulfilleda lifelong dream and finished his first evermarathon. Along with 4,000 other runners,Alexander Kuzma ran in the United TechnologiesGreater Hartford Marathon and finished the chal-lenging 26.2 mile course in 4 hours 26 minutes.“My goal was not very ambitious. I just wanted tofinish the race in less than 5 hours. Next year,maybe I’ll finish in under 4 hours.” In the process,Alex raised over $1,300 for the Fund throughpledges from friends and family. He was met atthe finish line by his mother, Oksana, and hisdaughters, Alina, Teryn, and baby Maya, (seeabove). Alex is challenging other runners to sup-port the Fund by running another marathon withhim in the spring or fall of 2005.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RUNSHARTFORD MARATHON TO

RAISE FUNDS FOR MISSIONS DANBURY CHURCH HOLDS8TH ANNUAL 5K ROAD RACE

May 16, Dania, FL - The South Florida UkrainianCoordinating Committee (SFUCC) hosted a lunch-eon commemorating the eighteenth anniversary ofthe tragedy in Chornobyl. Organized by OksanaPiaseckyj and Donna Maksymowich-Waskiewicz,this was the second annual luncheon to benefit theChildren of Chornobyl Relief Fund. The eventpayed tribute to the victims of the nuclear disasterand educated the public on the issues still at hand,focusing on the work of the Fund. The keynotespeaker was Ike McFadden, filmmaker and produc-er who directed the Children of Chornobyl ReliefFund’s Teaching-Learning Network documentaryfilm. The event also included a performance byacclaimed bandurist Alla Kucevych. For moreinformation about the SFUCC, please call OksanaPiaseckyj at (305) 935-7151.

UKRAINIANS IN FLORIDAHOST LUNCHEON PROGRAM

TO BENEFIT FUND

KERHONKSON CHAPTERMOURNS THE LOSS OF A

GREAT SUPPORTER

Left, overall winner Sergio Rubeiro receives his trophyfrom Pani Matka Bethany Mihaly on the steps of theHoly Trinity Orthodox Church after finishing the racecourse at a pace just over 5 minutes per mile. Right,Linda Hastey and Marina Mayer, who recently returnedfrom a mission trip to the Crimean AutonomousRepublic in Ukraine, celebrate at the finish line.

September 18, Penfield, NY - The RochesterChapter held its Sixth Annual Golf Tournament tobenefit the Ivano-Frankivsk Perinatology Center inUkraine. On a beautiful sunny day, close to 50golfers participated in the event that took place atthe Shadow Pines Golf Club. Throughout the tour-nament, teams tried to beat each others’ birdies, butthe winning team was once again Clark Cogan,Barry Deane, Jerry Randisi, and Bob Steinorth.The Children of Chornobyl Relief Fund thanks thetournament organizers: Roman Lesiv, BohdanSkrobach, John Adamczuk, Lesia Telega, and TarasMyhowych, pictured above.

ROCHESTER CHAPTERHOSTS 6TH ANNUAL GOLF

TOURNAMENT PARISHIONERS OF THE

CLIFTON UOL HOST THIRDANNUAL CHARITY DINNER

TO RAISE FUNDS FORORPHANAGES IN UKRAINE

Olympic and World Champion, Victor Petrenko (center)with his wife, Nina, are greeted by Hieromonk DanielZelinsky and Rev. Oleh & Mrs. Lidia Hutsul.

7

October 23, Wayne, NJ - The parishioners ofHoly Ascension Ukrainian Orthodox Church ofClifton hosted a fundraising banquet to securefunds for severely disabled children in theZnamyanka and Zaluchya Orphanages. Heldat the Grand Chalet in Wayne, NJ, this was theevent’s fourth year. Among the guests at thebanquet were Ukrainian Olympic and WorldSkating Champion Viktor Petrenko, his wife,Olympic trainer Nina Petrenko, and theirdaughter, Viktoria. According to co-organizerNadine Drost, the banquet raised approximate-ly $4,000 for the orphanage program. PastorHieromonk Daniel Zelinsky thanked all theparticipants and donors, including many localbusinesses that donated door prizes for theevent. The Masters of Ceremonies RichardJendras and Roxana Hajda coordinated the liveauction and raffle. A special feature at thisyear’s event was the sale of teddy bears repre-senting each of the 120 orphans at Zaluchya.Donors were asked to “adopt” the bears as asymbol of their support for the orphans, and aparishioner dressed in an antique nurse’s uni-form delivered the baby bears with ornateadoption certificates. Musical entertainmentwas provided by the well respected jazz band,the Anthony St. James Orchestra and singerBonnie Goodman who performed a wide rangeof favorite Broadway show tunes. A diversecrowd ranging from schoolchildren to seniorcitizens danced the night away, clearly enjoy-ing the festive atmosphere and celebrating theirChurch’s strong support of a very good cause.

CHAPTER NEWS