8/6/2019 Yulia’s Luck

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/yulias-luck 1/1Resident March 2011 • 157

FAMILY   yulia’s Luck

Yulia Shyrko is 14 years old andhas lived in an orphanage in theUkraine most of her life. She was

born with a severe facial deformity on herface and neck known as massive cavernoushemangioma. Her left eye and mouth weremalformed as were the blood vessels inher brain. Her condition causes numerousneurological problems such as weakness,headaches, personality disorders, and evenseizures.

Yulia’s family could not find anyqualified doctors in the Ukraine who werewilling to operate. At two months old she

was taken to Moscow for her f irst surgery.She had a second surgery at nine months.These early operations saved her life butleft Yulia badly disfigured.

Her parents gave her up and sent her tolive in a government-run orphanage that hasbarely enough funds to cover the children’smost basic needs. Yulia would’ve benetedgreatly from additional surgeries but theyare not available to her.

She has grown up an outcast. Other kids

point at her and laugh. They call her “TheScar.” Her future is very bleak. It is illegalfor her to leave the orphanage to work soshe will “graduate” from the orphanageunprepared for life, with no opportunity torise above poverty level.

 A nonprot organization, Help Us Helpthe Children—USA, dedicated to helping children in Ukrainian orphanages, heardabout Yulia’s plight. One volunteer, NinaMazurenko, took a personal interest andhas become her advocate. Mazurenkohas appealed to the Little Baby FaceFoundation (LBFF) for help. LBFF is an

organization that provides free correctivesurgery and covers all related expenses forchildren worldwide born with disguring facial deformities. The founder of LBFF,Dr. Thomas Romo, III, is a world-renowned facial plastic and reconstructivesurgeon who has assembled a talented teamof doctors who provide all their services toLBFF patients free of charge.

Dr. Romo and the LBFF board of directors have taken on Yulia’s case. She

will be brought to New York City to receivcomprehensive pre-operative exams tevaluate her vision, hearing, facial nervessoft tissue and bones. A pediatricianpediatric dentist, and cranio faciaplastic surgeon will all participate in heexamination and treatment.

Her surgery and follow-up treatmentwill take up to six months and wildrastically improve her scars and deformedfeatures. She will receive a cheek implanteye and nose surgeries, all gratis. Yulia’life is about to change and her future wilnally look brighter!

The Little Baby Face Foundation reliestrictly on donations to cover the high cosof these transformative surgeries, as weas each patient’s transportation to NewYork City, housing, and all related medicacosts. To make a donation please go tolittlebabyface.org. You will transform thlife of a child!

 Dorri Olds (DorriOlds.com) is a webmaster,writer and social media consultant.

Yulia’s Luck is About to ChAnge 

by Dorri olDs