Local man goes to Ukraine to give medical assistance

The most recent numbers out of Ukraine show over 3.2 million people have evacuated the country. Many of those who have left are women and children, while men between the ages of 18-60 have been required to stay to help the war effort.

But there’s one group- that won’t be leaving the country, and not because they are staying to fight.

Now, two pediatric dentists- one from right here in northeast Florida, are leaving Sunday to go on a journey few would even consider going on right now. They’re going to Ukraine, to help orphans who are unable to leave. Giving them dental help, medical assistance, and comfort.

“I started with orphans in 98 in Belarus that were suffering from the Chernobyl explosion. And so I went to Belarus for I guess 10 years in a row at Christmas and played Santa by night in the orphanage and dentist by day. so I’ve always just had a warm spot for orphans.”

John Pfefferle has been giving international pediatric dental aid to children, especially orphans, for two decades. He has gone to countries like Gambia, Beirut, Israel, Nicaragua, and China with over 116 teams. On Sunday… he and a co-volunteer of his, Phil Aday, are going into their most dangerous mission yet.

“To look after orphans and widows in their distress. That’s why I’m going,” Aday said.

The two are going to Ukraine to help over 160 Ukrainian orphans who have been moved to an orphanage that already has dozens of kids the two have helped in the past.

Phil explained how the orphans came into their care, saying, “because of the invasion, an orphanage located in the eastern part of Ukraine, these orphans had to be evacuated to the west.”

They’ve gone to this Ukrainian orphanage to help before through a Christian mission group called Global Health Outreach- but this time, they’re going as individuals.

“Because of the suddenness of the invasion, Global Health Outreach could not respond in a timely manner. And probably would never deploy to an active war zone.”

The man who runs the orphanage has become a friend of the pair- when he knew he had more kids coming, he called for backup.

“He knew if he talked to Phil- I probably wouldn’t say no to Phil and so… he’s like a brother to me in Ukraine. He’s an amazing man.”

Now, as they head that way- they don’t know what to expect.

“The ones that are coming in from the east? We have no idea. what they’re gonna be like. we’re just gonna know they’ve going to have had a lot of traumatic moments.”

They are going to fly into Krakow, go into Western Ukraine, and work in the clinic. They say once they are done giving dental assistance, they are prepared to keep helping.

“We’ll just do what we need to do and if we don’t have patients we’ll work on the food lines,” John said.

But while they get their affairs in order here, things like making sure they have their own protection, “we had to make sure we had our insurance, they’ll come and get us if we’re sick, they’ll come and get us if we’re in a combat zone… "

They hope to show a bit of love, patience, and peace there.

“It doesn’t matter that we don’t speak their language; sometimes they just start talking to me and I’m sitting there… I don’t have a clue what their words are but I know if their heart language is.”