Good Will Travels Dr. Cecily H. Lesko, a Clifton ophthalmologist, traveled to Myanmar (Burma) earlier this year with three other US volunteers as are part of a goodwill effort to save and improve vision among impoverished communities. At the Sitagu Ayundana Hospital in remote Sagaing Hills, for 12 days the group provided surgery, eye treatments and taught hospital staff updated techniques. Besides their surgical skills they brought equipment to help the most impaired patients. They performed complicated retinal and cataract surgery. Dr. Lesko noted, “You finish a case thinking ‘well, that was the most difficult case I’ve done in my career’until the next patient comes in.” The plan is to continue this project in an area where thousands are underserved, where little or no treatment is available. Myanmar, with a population of 60 million is one of the poorest nations in the world. The volunteers, recruited by a local retinal specialist, traveled at their own expense, and received donations of supplies.
74 September 2016 • Cliftonmagazine.com
Besides Myanmar, Dr. Lesko has traveled to Soweto to treat the eyes of children in orphanages in Africa. Here in Clifton, Dr. Lesko practices with her father, Dr. William S. Lesko, Dr. Stuart Wunsh, Dr. Patricia Cucci and Dr. Rana Mady at North Jersey Eye Associates, at 1005 Clifton Ave. Dr. Cecily Lesko played collegiate basketball at John Hopkins University and today she is well known in the professional sports and media communities. She treats many local professional athletes, college coaches and television personalities, including volunteering with the Boomer Esiason Foundation in their fight against cystic fibrosis.