PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Taleen Babayan
Tel: (212) 686-0710; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
April 19, 2010
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Dr. John Wilhelm will be honored by the Eastern Diocese with its "St. Vartan
Award," at the Diocesan Assembly banquet on April 30 in Chicago
On a winter day in 1989 a plane carrying 37 children landed at Andrews Air
Force Base in Washington, D.C. The children were victims of the devastating
earthquake that had struck Armenia two months earlier, leaving 50,000 dead
and thousands injured and homeless.
It was on that day – February 9, 1989 – that Dr. John Wilhelm entered their
story and helped pave the way to modernizing rehabilitation medicine in
Armenia.
At the time, Dr. Wilhelm was working for Project HOPE, a not-for-profit
international health care agency based in Washington, D.C. Upon greeting the
children – who had come to receive treatment in the U.S. – he struck up a
friendship with Dr. Garen Koloyan, a young pediatric orthopedic surgeon from
Yerevan who accompanied the group.
Over the next six weeks, the two doctors designed an eight-year medical
program to be implemented in Armenia through Project HOPE. The program would
train doctors and nurses in pediatric orthopedics and rehabilitation, as
well as introduce physical and occupational therapy to Armenia’s medical
centers.
Almost a quarter-century later, Dr. Wilhelm’s dedication and commitment has
brought a better standard of living and improved healthcare to countless
people in Armenia. In gratitude for his tireless efforts, the Diocese of the
Armenian Church of America (Eastern) will honor him with the "St. Vartan
Award," during its 108th annual Diocesan Assembly in Chicago, Ill., on
Friday, April 30.
Recognizing potential and determination
Born and raised in Chicago, Dr. Wilhelm was trained as an obstetrician and
endocrinologist, and received a master’s degree in public health. As a
senior medical student, he spent four months in Sri Lanka with Project HOPE,
which implements health education programs and provides humanitarian
assistance worldwide. "That was the beginning of my realizing there’s a
bigger world," said Dr. Wilhelm.
In the mid-1970s, rather than entering private practice, he opted to work
with Project HOPE-and the association continued for the subsequent 13 years.
During this time, Dr. Wilhelm developed international healthcare programs in
Latin America and the Caribbean.
He began working for the Chicago Department of Public Health in 1990, and
since 2005, Dr. Wilhelm has served as the executive director of the
non-profit Infants Welfare Society of Chicago, which provides healthcare for
low-income women and children.
It was during his tenure at Project HOPE that Dr. Wilhelm and Dr. Koloyan
initiated a program to train medical professionals in pediatric orthopedics
and rehabilitation.
"Dr. Koloyan was a visionary and said the best thing would be to help him
build a pediatric orthopedic and rehabilitation center in Armenia," said Dr.
Wilhelm. "Project HOPE wanted to train Armenians in Yerevan to take over and
build this whole system of care for children with disabilities."
Seeing potential and determination in Dr. Koloyan, Dr. Wilhelm supported Dr.
Koloyan’s one-year fellowship in pediatric orthopedics at the Shriner’s
Hospital in Portland, Ore. The training helped to further improve the
treatment of children with orthopedic problems in Armenia, especially those
with cerebral palsy.
"After the training, we were able to create in Armenia the rehabilitation
team, which helps children with disabilities in their medical,
psychological, and social rehabilitation," said Dr. Koloyan. "We started the
outreach clinic project in many regions of Armenia, in Artsakh, in all
orphanages around the country, where they have children with
physical-including orthopedic and mental-problems."
Later Dr. Wilhelm, along with the Chicago Armenian community, helped raise
money for the renovation of the pediatric orthopedic department and the
operating room at the University Children’s Hospital in Yerevan, as well as
additional training sessions for other doctors. In addition, Dr. Wilhelm
personally supported and cared for children who received prostheses in the
U.S.
The drive to help
At the suggestion of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Dr. Koloyan
also initiated a sports rehabilitation program in Armenia. Dr.
Wilhelm-again, supported by the Chicago Armenian community-organized a
series of fundraisers for the sports program.
"We have a group of pillars of the Armenian community in the Chicago, a
group that is still very strong," said Dr. Wilhelm. "Many of these people
are among my best friends."
Eventually, the program became known as PYUNIC (the Armenian Association for
the Disabled) and Dr. Wilhelm served as its first president in the United
States. Children with disabilities benefited from summer activities at Lake
Sevan, winter ski camps, and the introduction of wheelchair basketball.
Armenian youths with prostheses took part in the wheelchair sections of the
Chicago and New York marathons, and participated in downhill skiing and
sailing in the Special Olympics World Winter and Summer Games in Nagano,
Salt Lake City, and Atlanta.
"This speaks to his work with PYUNIC," said Dr. Koloyan. "Children who had
never traveled outside of their native village before the earthquake, were
now able to have a new and better life through the sport and camp program."
The two doctors’ most recent project is the building of a new pediatric
orthopedic department at the Arabkir Joint Medical Center in Yerevan, an
undertaking they began in 2007. This year, Dr. Wilhelm founded "Renaissance
of Children," a non-profit sister organization which aims to provide free
treatment for children with disabilities in Armenia.
In 2000, the Yerevan State Medical University awarded Dr. Wilhelm the
"Mkhitar Heratsi" medal for his humanitarian work.
"Through all these projects, he was able to improve the lives of thousands
of disabled children in Armenia, not only those who were injured in the
earthquake, but all disabled children around the country," Dr. Koloyan said.
Dr. Wilhelm has been to Armenia three times, in 1992, 1996, and 2000.
"I am just so struck by the Armenian community’s drive to help their
country," he said. "As an ordinary American, it’s just amazing to see the
commitment of the diaspora to help their homeland."
He adds, "We have a real leader in Dr. Koloyan. Our work is a good
investment; it’s a success story."
Dr. John Wilhelm will be presented with the Diocese’s "St. Vartan Award" at
the 108th Diocesan Assembly, in Chicago, Ill. The presentation will be made
during the assembly’s gala banquet on Friday evening, April 30, starting at
6:30 p.m., at the Marriott Chicago O’Hare Hotel. For information on the
banquet and this year’s Diocesan Assembly, log onto the host parish’s
website,
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Photo attached: Dr. John Wilhelm.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
