Blinded teacher’s tears of joy as UK doctors say: We’ll save your eyesight
After generous MoS readers donate £10,000 for Ukraine war victim’s op...
A UKRAINIAN teacher blinded in a Russian missile attack is receiving specialist treatment in Britain thanks to the generosity of Mail readers.
Olena Kurylo, 52, became the face of Vladimir Putin’s brutality when photographers sent harrowing images of her bandaged face around the world after the attack in Kharkiv on the first day of Russia’s invasion.
The Mail on Sunday swung into action, helping her flee the war zone to undergo specialist treatment in Poland. Olena underwent three operations, but Polish doctors concluded they were unable to save the sight in her right eye – and could do no more for her.
Now, thanks to Mail Force donations – and £10,000 secured for Olena’s treatment in the UK – world-leading surgeons told her last week they believe they can regain her vision. Olena, who wept with joy when speForce cialist Professor Tom Williamson broke the news, said: ‘He has given me hope for my eye and my life, and hope is very important.
‘I am so touched and extremely thankful to every single reader who has contributed.’
Olena was injured when a missile exploded outside her home, sending shards of glass from shattered windows into her face. Medics had told her she risked losing her right eye without the surgery.
After a gruelling three-and-a-halfhour operation, Polish doctors restored almost a third of the sight in Olena’s eye, but the results did not last. The best outcome they could offer Olena was 20 per cent vision – and they told her she would need surgery every two to three months for the rest of her life.
Determined to secure a better outcome, The Mail on Sunday sought the help of internationally renowned consultant eye surgeons Sheraz Daya and Tom Williamson at Centre for Sight, a world-leading clinic based in London, Surrey and Sussex.
After studying Olena’s medical notes, they were confident they could save more of her sight – but at an estimated cost of £10,000.
Thanks to the incredible Mail donations, the money was raised within 24 hours. Mail Force launched its Ukraine Appeal within days of Russia’s invasion, and it became the fastest newspaper fundraiser in history.
Donations flooded in, kickstarted with £500,000 from the Mail’s parent company, DMGT, at the personal request of Lord and Lady Rothermere.
To enable Olena to travel to the UK, lawyers from the British firm Mishcon de Reya worked for free to secure a visa through the Homes for Ukraine scheme. The charity Refugees at Home worked tirelessly to find her a suitable sponsor and host home. Within days, an MoS reporter flew to Poland, accompanied Olena back to London and took her to her host family in North London.
Olena said: ‘They are very warm people, and the love they showed me made me feel so relaxed and comfortable. It has been very therapeutic after fleeing the chaos of war.’
Two days after arriving, Olena was examined by Prof Williamson at Centre for Sight.
He told Olena: ‘I feared it would be a lot worse. Considering the trauma your eye has been through, the fact you have some vision in that eye is a good sign. Your eye will never return to normal, but I am confident we can restore your vision up to 50 per cent with one operation.’
Olena thanked him, and said: ‘I am so grateful for the kindness of strangers who have helped me and made me never give up.’
After three operations, Olena’s eye now needs a rest from surgery. Under Prof Williamson’s care, she will have another consultation in Britain in October and an operation in January.
Prof Williamson also recommended Olena stopped taking medication and started living without restrictions – enjoying swimming and even wearing eye make-up again.
He told the MoS: ‘I was pleased to see that the eye has visual potential better than we first anticipated.
‘There is still a way to go, and risks along the way, but there is a good chance of obtaining some useful vision in the long term.’
‘I am so grateful for the kindness of strangers’