EDITOR'S NOTEBOOK

AN AMAZING
EVENT TO HELP
CHILDREN WITH
SPECIAL NEEDS!

Healing The Children

I

teachers, parents and leaders, who elevate them to martyrs for
t was a wintry morning outside, but in Operating
murdering
Israelis, the younger the better: Such martyrdom is
Room 8 at Children's Hospital of Michigan, the
celebrated
in
the streets of Ramallah as a proper response to
hoped-for success of a new surgical technique cast a
what
most
Jews
characterize as the unfortunate killing of
warm glow.
Palestinian
children
caught in Israel's line of fire.
Doctors Scott Langenburg and Michael Klein were about
Nolan
Finley,
editorial
page editor of the Detroit News,
to perform a breakthrough advanced surgical procedure aided
- aptly called the Palestinian death wish for younger Israelis "a
by a computer and a robot.
deliberate and despicable effort to accelerate the demoraliza-
The patient, Kyle Bugdalski, 17, of Center Line, was suffer-
tion of the Israeli people and force them to accept compro-
ing from painful heartburn caused by gastro-
mises that may leave the nation far less secure."
esophageal reflux — a disease that can lead
What Arafat's Fatah followers conveniently sidestep is that
to cancer of the esophagus. By wrapping the
the
intifada (uprising) is recklessly sacrificing the lives of
stomach around the esophagus to create a
younger
Palestinians, too.
new muscle valve — a procedure normally
Israeli
Arnold Roth, whose daughter Malka Chana, 15,
done laproscopically — the doctors hoped to
died in the Sbarro Pizzeria explosion on Aug. 9, perceptively
stop the reflux.
told Gerald() Rivera on Fox News Channel's "War Zone" last
Maxine and Smart Frankel were there in
Sunday: Mideast peace will come only "when the Arabs love
green scrubs to observe. The Bloomfield
ROBERT A.
their children more than they hate us."
Township couple had a vested interest. They
SKLAR
He may well be right.
not only had given $3 million to the Maxine
Editor
and Stuart Frankel Foundation Computer-
Enriching Life
Assisted Robot-Enhanced Surgery Program,
which made the procedure possible, but also had pledged to
As surgeons huddled in Operating Room 8 to apply their
match other gifts, dollar for dollar, in hopes of raising the
newest technique on Kyle Bugdalski — who, according to
total endowment to $5 million.
officials, "has recovered and is doing well" —
The program, say officials at the Detroit
Maxine Frankel recounted her first visit to the
Medical Center-affiliated hospital, "is breaking
hospital eight years ago.
new ground in minimally invasive pediatric pro-
"I made up my mind in the Children's
cedures, research and education." It allows gen-
Hospital neonatal intensive care unit to serve,"
der, less invasive surgery -- "turning science fic-
she told Philanthropy Profile. "It was a very
tion into science fact by helping kids everywhere
emotional moment. As a mom, you respond,
overcome disease with less pain, shorter hospital
There, but for the grace of God, go I.'"
stays and more time just to be kids," Dr.
The Frankels' generosity has enabled
Langenburg said.
Children's Hospital of Michigan to team up
The Frankels, parents to Kami, 29, and
with Computer Motion Inc. of Santa Barbara,
Maxine an d Stuart
Darren, 30, were humbled after watching the
Calif, and the College of Engineering at Wayne
Frankel
Jan. 17 surgery.
State University in Detroit to make life better
Speaking to Philanthropy Profile, a hospital
for seriously ill kids of all ethnic backgrounds.
publication, Maxine, a hospital trustee, said, "We've never
It strikes me that this pediatric pioneer spirit mirrors that
seen a surgery, let alone a robotic procedure. It was awesome.
of Jerusalem's ALYN Hospital and Hadassah Hospital,
This is a step toward the future."
which serve all children in the region, regardless of religion.
Her husband, Stuart, a land developer, said, "This could be
In operating on Kyle Bugdalski, Children's Hospital of
the catalyst for really great things. We hope this can be the
Michigan is the first hospital of its kind to use the Zeus
beginning of a great learning process and universal change in
Robotic Surgical System. The system senses the surgeon's
medical care for the benefit of kids everywhere."
hand movements and scales them into precise micro-move-
ments while filtering out hand tremor, thereby cutting
injury•and trauma. Doctors envision continued advances
Targeting Our Future
in brain, chest and abdominal operations as well as fetal
I read about the Frankels' mitzvah as I pondered how
surgery through the use of computers and robots.
Palestinian extremists have targeted Israel's future — its youth
"You see the benefit of what research can do because
— in their suicide bombings and sniper attacks. Victims have
these little babies survive," Maxine Frankel said.
included infants strapped in car seats or strollers, teenagers
That's a powerful image.
celebrating b'nai mitzvah, young adults shmoozing at discos
Imagine what the Palestinian leadership could accom-
and soldiers guarding border posts. Schoolyards, family cafes,
plish if they devoted as much energy toward partnering
wedding receptions and other places where young people go
with Israel and their hospitals on breakthroughs in pedi-
are other popular trigger points.
atric medicine as they have toward scheming to blow up
That carnage resonated in an especially incisive note sent by
their children and those of their bitter enemy?
Southfield's Dr. Isaac Barr, a passionate Zionist whom I corre-
Not only might a state worth having come sooner, but
spond with via e-mail. "Israeli Jewish children are being killed
also the conditions would be ripe for tomorrow's
not by cancer," he wrote, "but by bullets of terrorists."
Palestinian leaders, the children of today, to grow up at
Palestinian Authority leader Yasser Arafat seems to want to
least accepting, if not respecting, their Israeli neighbors.
wear. down the Israelis, neutralize their military strength, dis-
That would set the stage to achieve what, to now, has
rupt their claim to secure, buffered borders and, if not destroy
been so frustratingly elusive: lasting reconciliation between
the Jewish state, curb its resolve.
two peoples sharply divided by history, tradition, belief
Alarmingly, the typical designated hitters wielding the
and values. ❑
bombs are barely in their twenties. They're brainwashed by

The Merle and Shirley
Harris Children and
Family Division

3/22

2002

5

