A top international heart surgeon is jetting into Kilkenny this weekend to take part in the Chernobyl Children’s Project annual conference.
Dr William Novick and board member of Chernobyl Children’s Project International (CCPI ) USA, flies into Ireland tomorrow, January 24 to attend the charity’s annual conference in the Ormonde Hotel, Kilkenny. He will be joined by the Ukrainian Ambassador, Mr Borys Basylevskyi, Liz O’Donnell (former TD ), Ali Hewson, Board Director, CCPI, and Adi Roche, founder and CEO, CCPI.
Dr Novick made history in 2004, when he appeared in the Oscar-winning documentary Chernobyl Heart. For over five years he has developed the Chernobyl Children’s Project International Cardiac Surgery Programme in Belarus. He expanded this hugely successful programme into the Ukraine last year, where volunteer cardiac missions were delivered across four of the main cities of Kiev, Kharkiv, Donetsk and Odessa. Dr Novick’s primary focus is on improving the care of disadvantaged children in need of critical cardiac surgery.
He has been professor of surgery and paediatrics at the University of Tennessee – Memphis and endowed professor of the Paul Nemir, jr Chair of International Child Health since October 1999. He is also the founder and medical director of the International Children's Heart Foundation, a non-profit organisation whose primary focus is improving the care of children in developing countries. To date, the foundation has operated on more than 3000 children with congenital heart defects in 20 different countries.
Adi Roche, founder and CEO of Chernobyl Children’s Project International said: ‘We are absolutely delighted to welcome Dr Novick into Ireland to attend what will be his first annual conference of the organisation. We are so honoured and privileged that he has found time out of his busy schedule to attend the conference. Dr Novick is one of the most eminent child cardiac surgeons in the world. All of our volunteers who will be in attendance at the conference on Saturday cannot wait to meet with Bill and hear of his wonderful life-saving work for our organisation!’
The afternoon session of the conference starts at 2pm, Saturday, January 24 in the Ormonde Hotel, and is open to all members of the public.
