Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Charlotte, N.C. -- Presbyterian Healthcare pediatric urologist, John Gazak, MD, has no shortage of patients. His thriving practice, Southeast Children’s Urology, has locations in both Huntersville and Charlotte and is always bustling with patients and families. He bounces back and forth between outpatient visits at his clinics and inpatient procedures at Presbyterian Hospital and Presbyterian Hospital Huntersville and is always delighted to be able to help children of all ages suffering from conditions of the reproductive and urinary systems. But that’s not enough.
Gazak is heavily involved with Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting the medical and humanitarian crisis facing children in the Middle East. He recently returned from a trip to Palestine, where he not only provided medical treatment for children who may otherwise not receive care, but also educated pediatric surgeons and other local physicians about how to perform certain procedures.
“Previously, the physicians in Palestine had no experience with pediatric urology and no place to refer patients to, meaning that children who suffer from genital deformities and other conditions had no place to go for care,” Gazak said. “By educating these doctors, I’m able to help them help patients on their own, which ultimately helps many more children and leaves a lasting impact on the country.”
Despite this great advance in training for Palestinian physicians, there are still children who aren’t able to be cared for in Palestine, and PCRF brings them here for treatments and procedures, watches them throughout their recovery and then helps them return to their home country, with all expenses covered. They rely on local families to provide a home, travel accommodations and translation services while in Charlotte, and none of this would be possible without it. Most recently, Gazak provided care for a 3 ½-year-old boy with exstrophy, a condition that causes incontinence with a severe genital deformity. Thanks to Gazak, the little boy now has control over his bladder and is able to run around and play like other kids, without being mocked by his peers. His six-week stay in the United States concludes next week, where he will return to Palestine as a much happier child.
“I’m so thankful that I was able to help him,” Gazak said. “I can’t describe how rewarding it is and how much I enjoy doing this. When you are given wonderful gifts and opportunities in life, you have to give back. The only currency is warm smiles and hugs and handshakes, and that’s such a powerful thing.”
Always humble, Gazak recognizes the others that helped make this a reality. “I can’t say enough about the support that Presbyterian provides me, from allowing me to travel overseas, to donating supplies, to dedicating time and resources to provide care for these families, free of charge. So many people put their heart into helping this little boy, as well as other children we have helped, and the families are eternally grateful.”
Gazak plans to return to Palestine in either November or January to continue to share his knowledge with local doctors and help even more children. Because, you can never have too many patients. There’s always room to help a child in need.
