COLUMBUS--(L-R) SARA Founder and Executive Director Stephen Szilagyi, SARA Co-President Lana Sakash and SARA Co-Founder Jeanie Szilagyi stand with Dr. Roman Schnitzer, Transcarpathian Minister of Health and Dr. Ivan Malesh, Beregova City Hospital Director who have just presented an award to UCC Ohio Conference Minister Rev. Bob Molsberry.

By Andrew J. Tonn

COLUMBUS–Dr. Roman Schnitzer, Minister of Health for the State of Transcarpathia, Ukraine and Dr. Ivan Malesh, Administrator of Beregova City Hospital in Transcarpathia visited the US for several weeks as guests of SARA on a medical fact-finding mission.Drs. Schnitzer (a general surgeon) and Malesh (a neurologist) came to see advanced medical practices, make contacts and form relationship within the American medical community. During their Ohio sojourn they visited a broad spectrum of medical and health care facilities ranging from the OSU Medical Center, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and the Cleveland Clinic to Brown Memorial Hospital in Conneaut, Ohio and four levels of nursing homes and hospice care facilities.

“My hope,” commented SARA Founder and Executive Director Stephen Szilagyi, “Is that our visitors will be able to create the type of health care we have here in the US back in Ukraine. As well, by forming personal relationships, diagnostic exchanges and medical advice partnerships with American doctors they can get  help diagnosing problems via e-mail within a day at most.

Rev. Stephen Szilagyi speaks on the importance of Christ's birth and the spirit of Christmas. :Shane Brown photo

Dear Friends and Family of SARA,

Christmas and the holidays are fast approaching. While times may be difficult here in the United States we need to remember how much more serious conditions can be in the developing world where SARA’s missions are concentrated.

This is the rainy season in the tropics and El Salvador recently suffered a devastating series of floods that have wiped out houses, cut entire communities off from supplies and made the health care situation even more serious.

Winter is coming to Ukraine, Romania and Serbia. While we think of snowy nights, snug with our families, there the cold and blizzards can bring isolation and even starvation. In the recent past, SARA support has saved isolated orphanages and hospitals in the Carpathian Mountains from such a grim fate.

And there are all the everyday projects and programs, bringing hope and life to people in the forgotten corners of the world through medicine and food, life-saving and life-altering surgeries, education and other opportunities they never would have had otherwise.

In these difficult time the poor and sick, oppressed and disadvantaged need your help more than ever.  Remember these brothers and sisters in Christ as we approach the season of His birth.

Every donation helps and the following are few ideas:

• A special collection to support SARA.

• Including a monthly contribution to SARA in your church budget.

• A “jingling change” collection.

• A special Christmas collection.

• A recyclable can drive.

Most importantly, please encourage your church to remember SARA and those we to serve in their prayers. With God’s help all things are possible.

Remember, a speaker’s bureau is available to present programs at your church on work of SARA’s work. To schedule a presentation, please call or contact SARA.

Sharing America’s Resources Abroad

Ohio Conference UCC

6161 Busch Blvd.

Suite 100

Columbus, Ohio 43229

(800) 282-0740

(614) 885-0722

www.saragroup.org

After a few errands we toured the Dr. Merlyn Larson Clinic in the suburb of Apopa. The clinic, named for the late Doctor, was begun 21 years ago by Merlyn and his wife Bettyann. Bettyann was with us, however, and it seemed she knew everyone in town. She has been coming here for many years, even through the civil war, and has been deeply involved for all that time in the lives of the Salvadoran community.

A Salvadoran woman brings her children for a medical consultation at the Apopa Clinic.

Dr. Chinchilla, Director of the Apopa Clinic.

An elderly stroke victim receives physical therapy at the Apopa Clinic.

After the clinic we visited the CEFOR vocational training school, a facility SARA has supported with funding and equipment ranging from computer stations to a printing press. CEFOR provides vocational training in a variety of disciplines including computer science, carpentry, printing, graphic design and sewing. The changes

John Gilberg (left), Director for El Salvador and Tom Fledderjohan stand with equipment donated by SARA to the CEFOR vocational school.

Finally we made our way into Soyapango, the most heavily industrialized city in the country and, sadly, one that has had many problems with poverty and crime. We met with the several term mayor, Carlos Ruiz and he and his staff spoke on what projects are underway and what is being done to improve the city’s conditions. We gathered for a photo-op in front of donated wheelchairs and were shown another health clinic that provides similar services to the one in Apopa.

The SARA delegation stands with donated wheelchairs, Mayor Carlos Ruiz and some of the municipal staff of the City of Soyapango.

A young Ukrainian boy recovering from a SARA sponsored surgery to repair his sunken chest.

The patient, however, was unable to afford the considerable expense needed for the treatment. Dr. Ákos Kiss, the leading physician of the unit and President of the Hungarian Children’s Surgery Association, managed to reduce the operation’s expenses by 50 percent. In spite of this, the sick man still could not afford the remaining amount.
It was at this moment that the Rev. István Szilágyi made his appearance. With his influence the remainder of the surgical expenses were covered partially by the Children’s Surgery Foundation Unit of Miskolc, and in part by Dr. Kiss and the operation was performed successfully.

Kiss is the type of physician who never stops learning. He had already worked to increase his scientific knowledge at home in Hungary and abroad, having studied one year in Glasgow, Scotland, three months at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, one month in Dresden, Germany, and shorter periods in Ireland and Finland.
SARA then made it possible for Dr. Kiss to spend one month at the Children’s Surgery in Cincinnati, which, at this time, is the most dynamic and growing pediatric surgical facility in the United States. In the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital next to Dr. Azizkhan, he learned many things that he could apply back home in his own surgery unit and on SARA medical missions in Transcarpathia, Ukraine and, potentially, elsewhere.

The contact Dr. Kiss made with SARA alive and growing. Twice every year, sacrificing his vacation, he spends a several days in Transcarpathia, Ukraine at the Children’s Hospital in Mukacheve, either alone or in concert with pediatric surgeon Dr. Attila Vástyán of Pécs. There, Kiss helps perform a variety of operations and teaches them to other doctors. Among other procedures, which have never been performed in this area, they cooperate in operations to repair cases of cleft lip and palate as well as various chest deformities. They also participate in the treatment of patients suffering from urological problems, plastic surgery issues, and on patients who had suffered traumatic accidents.

During each trip 10-18 cooperative surgeries take place and the treatment of many more patients is discussed. Over the years Kiss has formed friendly relations with the Mukacheve Hospital’s leadership and administration as well as the local surgeons and it has become possible for his colleagues in that city to enrich their own knowledge by trips to Hungary. Today, thanks to the efforts of SARA and Dr. Kiss, medical colleagues in Mukacheve can safely perform the chest deformity surgeries. They have, as well, made great progress in the performance of operations to cure children suffering from lip and palate cleavages.

Even now, towards the end of his active career, Dr. Ákos Kiss considers meeting the Rev. István Szilágyi one of the great gifts of his life: that he was allowed the opportunity to participate in the Christian work and sacrifice of SARA; that he could help those in need beyond any number of national borders.

SARA sponsored orthopedic surgery in Transcarpathia, Ukraine to repair a boy's sunken chest.

A woman at the Old Age Home in Transcarpathia

By S. Jean Szilagyi, SARA Co-founder and Secretary

TRANSCARPATHIA, UKRAINE — Stephen recently met with the former commander of the Hungarian Customs Service. He, his wife and his son (who is an English teacher) are anxious to help smooth the crossing to Ukraine for SARA personnel and humanitarian equipment and supplies.

Yesterday, we crossed the border into Ukraine at 6:00 a.m. at Chop. We visited Bishop Majnek. He looks well and sends his blessings to all of SARA’s friends.

Mr. Laszlo Katko was our driver around Transcarpathia. During the drive, he mentioned that the agricultural production for this summer will be diminished by at least 50%. Heavy spring rains and extreme heat have caused considerable damage. The only crop producing at its usual level is the corn. As a result, he will need to purchase food from others in the area to carry the orphanage through the winter. He needs more than $5,000 to address this predicament. THIS IS AN URGENT PLEA FOR FUNDS TO BE DESIGNATED FOR “GOOD SAMARITAN HOME.”

We met with the editor and official translator of the Hungarian version of Stephen’s “From Habbakkuk to SARA: A Memoir of the Reverend Stephen Szilagyi and His Founding of the SARA Ministry”. It should be published within the month.

Bishop Gulacsy has moved into the Old Age home across from the Reformed Church’s Diaconate, which is run by Bela Nagy.

We received the copies of the Russian Translation of Stephen’s book, provided by Mr. Alex Rovt.

Our adventures for the day concluded with a delicious meal of soup, potato dumplings with cottage cheese and bacon before a two-hour trip across the mighty Tisza river on a raft and the usual, “Hurry up and Wait” at the border!