MEMPHIS, Tenn. — With millions of Ukrainians fleeing war in their homeland since Russia invaded almost a month ago, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital helped hundreds of children with cancer find treatment elsewhere.
As the first hospital in the U.S. to do so, St. Jude on Tuesday welcomed four Ukrainian children with cancer and their families, a hospital news release said.
“Our ability to quickly help so many children and their families in Ukraine is the work of many partners – individuals and institutions – dedicated to the shared vision of improving the quality of health care delivery and increasing survival rates of children with cancer and blood disorders worldwide,” said Dr. Carlos Rodriguez-Galindo, director of St. Jude Global, an initiative with about 160 hospitals in 60 countries to help facilitate the treatment of childhood cancer.
“While there is more work ahead, we are committed to doing as much as we can as fast as swiftly as possible.”
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The four patients who arrived range from ages 9 months to 9 years old and traveled aboard a U.S. government-operated medical transport aircraft from Krakow, Poland, the release said.
St. Jude will provide the patient’s cancer treatment along with trauma-informed psychosocial therapy and schooling.
While St. Jude has assisted children with cancer fleeing war zones, like Syrian children who escaped to Lebanon or Jordan, this was the first time the institution had been involved in evacuating patients from an active conflict zone.
The patients and their families are among about 3.6 million Ukrainians who left their homeland, according to the United Nations Human Rights office.
St. Jude Global launched SAFER (Supporting Action For Emergency Response) after Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 and works with Fundacja Herosi in Poland, the Tabletochki Charity Foundation in Ukraine, Polish Society of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology and other international organizations to evacuate children with cancer from the war zone and offer them access to medical care to continue cancer treatments.
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“The work of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Ukraine reflects the hospital’s ongoing commitment to ensure children with cancer have access to lifesaving care, no matter where they live,” said Dr. James R. Downing, St. Jude president and CEO. “Our promise to children with catastrophic diseases extends around the globe, and we are honored to play a part in helping these families move to safety to continue their children’s treatment.”
The SAFER Ukraine collaborative assisted more than 600 patients as of Tuesday, according to the press release. The number includes translating medical records and coordinating convoys to the Unicorn Marian Wilemski Clinic in Poland, a triage center.
“This is exactly why my father founded St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital,” said Tony Thomas, son of founder Danny Thomas and a St. Jude/ALSAC board member. “When he said no child should die in the dawn of life, he did not mean just America’s children and it is why St. Jude Global exists today.”
St. Jude will evaluate the patients and help the families settle into housing facilities. The hospital will not provide updates until families acclimate.
Contributing: Corinne Kennedy, Commercial Appeal
Dima Amro covers the suburbs for the Commercial Appeal and can be reached at Dima.Amro@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @AmroDima.
