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Lena’s Story 2006
Lena at her orphanage
Lena after surgery
A ministry targeting young people around the world,
sharing the Love of God in Word and Deed.
Lena’s
story
begins
with
an
email
TLOT
received
from
Dr.
K
in
September
2005.
Dr.
K
and
her
husband
were
working
toward
adopting
a
child
in
Ukraine.
Both
being
ophthalmologists,
they
were
seeking
a
charitable
organization
in
Ukraine
to
help
them
connect
with
orphanages
in
order
to
perform
eye
exams
while
they
were
in
Ukraine. They were willing to come early by a few days to do this important work.
Of
course,
TLOT
was
quick
to
reply
to
this
email
and
began
making
arrangements
immediately.
Dr.
K
arranged
to
arrive
in
Ukraine
on
December
25,
2005
to
meet
Vitalik
and
begin
her
journey
of
eye-care.
She
did
not
mind
giving
up
her
Christmas
Day
for
this,
besides
it
is
a
holiday
for
giving
and
Ukraine
does
not
celebrate
Christmas until January. The plan and timing were excellent.
Dr.
K
began
seeing
children
on
the
26th
of
December.
She
speaks
of
several
severe
cases
of
crossed
eyes
that
she
was
able
to
begin
treatment
with
and
give
glasses
to.
One
boy
named
objects
in
the
room
for
the
very
first
time.
He
was
so
excited
and
so
was
the
doctor,
as
she
knew
this
would
not
only
improve
but
would
save
this
boy’s life and future.
It
wasn’t
until
the
third
day,
December
29,
2005
that
Dr.
K
met
Lena.
This
is
what
she
wrote
in
an
email
to
TLOT:
One
little
girl
in
this
group,
Lena,
had
an
eye
that
turned
out
slightly.
She
is
about
a
year
and
a
half
old.
Her
right
eye
looked
normal,
but
there
was
no
“red
reflex”
in
her
left
eye
and
it
turned
out
a
bit.
I
got
a
sick
feeling
when
I
saw
this.
I
knew
it
could
be
retinoblastoma
(cancer).
She
is
adorable
and
smart
and
appeared
healthy
otherwise.
She
has
little
brown
curls
and
is
sooo
pretty.
I
dilated
her
eyes
to
check
and
just
as
I
suspected
there
is
an
obvious
tumor
in
her
left
eye.
I
didn’t
have
the
ideal
situation
for
evaluating
her
eye,
but
I
could
see
a
large
creamy
colored
growth
behind
her
lens.
I
suppose
it
is
possible
that
this
is
not
retinoblastoma.
It
could
be
some
sort
of
congenital
abnormality
or
other
growth
or
detachment
of
the
retina,
but
it
most
likely
is
retinoblastoma.
This
is
a
typical
age
for
this
cancer
to
occur.
In
the
US
this
would
be
evaluated
and
treated
and
likely
cured
right
away. In the US, she could be totally fine with treatment.
Dr.
K
made
sure
that
the
head
doctor
of
the
orphanage
was
apprised
of
little
Lena's
situation.
The
doctor
replied
that
their
doctors
had
seen
Lena
recently
and
their
diagnosis
had
been
something
of
a
congenital
disorder.
She
had
an
appointment
in
another
month
to
be
reexamined.
Dr.
K’s
heart
sunk
once
again,
knowing
that
if
her
diagnosis
was
correct
Lena
may
not
have
another
month
to
live.
Yet,
in
this
situation
she
found
herself
powerless
to do anything.
Upon
returning
home
Dr.
K,
began
crusading
for
Lena's
care
and
very
life.
Dr.
K
and
had
contacted
ORBIS
(an
international
charitable
organization
of
ophthalmologists)
to
see
if
they
had
any
contacts
in
the
area
who
could
perform
the
needed
diagnostic
procedures
and
possible
life-saving
surgery.
The
specialists
at
ORBIS
concurred
with
Dr.
K’s
diagnosis
and
urgency
from
the
pictures
she
shared
of
Lena
with
them.
These
doctors
were
seeing
from
photographs
what
Lena's
doctors
were
missing
with
her
right
in
front
of
them.
They
gave
her
some
contacts
in
the
global
region,
but
none
were
in
Ukraine.
However,
Dr.
K
was
informed
that
Lena
didn’t
have the time it would take for ORBIS to establish a relationship with Ukraine in order to save her life
ORBIS finds a doctor in Lena's area who treats retinoblastoma! Everyone is overjoyed at the news! After a few
phone
calls
to
the
orphanage
Lena
is
allowed
to
see
this
specialist.
This
doctor
is
unable
to
confirm
Dr.
K’s
diagnosis
and
suggests
Lena
be
taken
to
the
Military
Hospital
where
they
have
better
equipment
to
further
examine
Lena.
There
is
also
talk
of
bringing
Lena
to
America
for
treatment
at
no
cost
to
the
orphanage
or
the
Ukrainian government.
Dr.
K
finds
and
ophthalmologist
in
Jerusalem
who
offers
to
do
the
procedures
for
free.
She
also
finds
a
clinic
in
Odessa,
Ukraine
that
has
the
proper
equipment
and
ability
to
perform
the
needed
exams
and
surgery.
All
that
needs
to
happen
is
for
the
orphanage
director
to
agree
for
Vitalik
to
drive
Lena
to
Odessa
for
the
procedure.
Dr.
K once again offers financial help, as she has from the beginning.
Lena's
orphanage
doctor
is
receptive
to
TLOT
and
Dr.
K’s
offer
of
help
for
Lena
and
agrees
that
Vitalik
in
Ukraine
can
bring
Lena
to
the
Military
Hospital
for
further
examination.
However,
Lena
is
given
an
ultrasonic
evaluation
and
not
the
needed
CT
scan.
Hence,
she
is
diagnosed
with
“fibrosis
of
the
glass
body
and
something
wrong
with
the
retina.”
The
final
conclusion
of
this
doctor
is
that
he
did
not
see
anything
very
dangerous
but
the
suspect
of
retinoblastoma
is
not
excluded
yet.
He
prescribed
drops
for
Lena
and
said
he
would
reevaluate
her
in
one month.
Dr.
K
understands
that
this
could
be
a
death
sentence
for
Lena.
If
she
does
not
get
treatment
right
away
this
cancer could move beyond her eye. If it does, she will have less than five percent chance of survival.
Seeing
that
time
is
short
and
working
with
Ukrainian
procedure
is
getting
Lena
nowhere
serious
talk
of
bring
her
to
the
United
States
for
treatment
begins.
The
orphanage
is
open
to
this
possibility.
However,
our
contact
is
told
that
for
Lena
to
travel
to
the
U.S.
she
has
to
have
a
visit
visa
which
will
be
very
difficult
to
get
AND
she
will
have
to
have
a
nurse
travel
with
her
who
will
also
require
a
travel
visa.
Not
only
do
they
have
to
get
documents
together
for
Ukraine,
but
also
for
the
U.S.
Embassy.
Generally
a
visit
visa
for
the
U.S.
requires
the
traveler
show
that
they
are
connected
to
the
Ukraine
by
owning
property
or
money
in
the
bank
to
receive
a
travel
visa. They are up against great odds. However, we serve a Mighty God.
The
other
problems
that
arise
with
getting
Lena
out
of
the
country
is
a
recent
scandal
that
happened
with
a
little
boy
taken
to
Germany
for
medical
treatment.
He
has
still
not
been
returned
to
Ukraine.
Therefore,
those
who
have
to
put
their
signatures
on
such
paperwork
are
reluctant
to
do
so.
No
one
wants
to
be
responsible.
Also,
Dr.
K
is
told
by
another
contact
that
many
Ukrainians
believe
that
children
who
are
adopted
abroad
are
adopted
for their body parts. Even the children in the orphanages have heard this!
Dr.
K
begins
to
seek
a
way
for
getting
Lena's
story
out
into
the
Ukrainian
media.
She
is
contacted
by
a
news
professional
and
the
story
gets
out
and
hearts
are
softened.
Dr.
K
begins
to
work
with
the
U.S.
Embassy
for
the
best
way
to
arrange
travel
for
Lena
to
come
to
the
States.
Dr.
K
has
offered
to
host
Lena
and
her
nurse
in
her
home
as
long
as
it
takes
for
Lena's
care
and
recovery.
A
fund
has
also
been
set
up
and
other
organizations
have
offered free treatment to Lena. All that had to be done now was get Lena to them.
Nearly
a
month
to
the
day
that
Dr.
K
met
Lena
she
receives
news
that
Lena
had
been
taken
again
to
a
clinic
where
she
was
examined
by
several
doctors
and
their
general
consensus
was
that
it
was
retinoblastoma.
Everyone
now
seems
to
be
on
board
with
Lena
going
to
America
for
treatment.
Meanwhile,
Dr.
K
is
pleading
with
anyone
who
will
listen
to
take
Lena
to
a
surgeon
who
can
remove
her
cancerous
eye.
If
it
takes
another
month
to
get
her
out
of
Ukraine,
this
adorable
little
girl
may
very
well
lose
her
chance
at
life
all
together.
However, it is not to happen for unknown reasons.
Good
news!
Lena's
visa
is
approved
on
February
14,
2006.
She
and
her
nurse
fly
out
to
the
U.S.
in
a
matter
of
days and she is seen in an American facility on February 21st. Here is Dr. K’s report of Lena's visit to the doctor:
Lena
was
seen
yesterday.
She
has
seen
several
specialists
and
has
had
a
CT
scan
and
an
MRI
scan.
She
has
already
been
to
the
O.R.
for
the
first
time
last
night.
So
far
all
signs
are
pointing
to
a
good
prognosis!
All
of
the
results
are
not
in
yet,
and
we
still
have
some
other
appointments
to
make
for
Lena
with
additional
specialists,
but
we are cautiously optimistic. Thank you to everyone who has helped to make this trip possible!
Thursday, March 09, 2006
All
is
going
well
here.
Lena
is
recovering
very
nicely
from
her
surgery.
We
believe
that
all
of
the
tumor
was
completely
removed
and
she
is
perfectly
healthy.
Once
she
is
healed,
she
will
get
a
new
prosthetic
eye.
She
is
happy
and
very
active
and
playful.
She
is
such
a
cute
little
girl!
She
has
a
follow
up
appointment
with
the
surgeon on March 23rd.
After
a
small
bump
in
the
road
–
Lena
needed
a
couple
more
reparative
procedures,
but
she
has
recovered
fully
and
has
been
returned
to
the
orphanage.
We
have
not
used
Dr.
K’s
full
name
or
Lena's
last
name
or
location
to
protect their privacy.
