In August, three ophthalmologists from Kyiv, Ukraine — George Parkhomenko, M.D., Platon Shupyk National University of Healthcare in Kyiv; Yana Sirman, M.D., Eye Microsurgery Center in Chernivtsi; and Elizabeth Baran, M.D., Shevchyk Eye Microsurgery Clinic in Chernihiv—visited the U-M Kellogg Eye Center. “This visit was years in the making,” says H. Kaz Soong, M.D., Emeritus Professor and Co-Director of the Kellogg Center for International Ophthalmology. “The collaboration began in 2019 when Brian True, a Michigan businessman leading the nonprofit, Eye Care for Ukraine, reached out to explore ways to improve eye care in Ukraine.” But progress was interrupted, first by the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, and then by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. “The conflict created an urgent need for local eye banking and advanced surgical skills, as most corneal donor tissue had previously come from Russia or Europe. Wartime conditions disrupted these sources,” says Dr. Soong. Unable to safely travel to Ukraine, Dr. Soong instead arranged for the Ukrainian doctors to receive training at the Kellogg Eye Center and the Eversight Eye Bank in Ann Arbor, one of the world’s largest eye banks. Nambi Nallasamy, M.D., Assistant Professor, and Donna Donato, Program Coordinator at the Kellogg Center for International Ophthalmology, were also integral to the visit’s success. The primary goal was to introduce the Ukrainian team to the latest corneal transplantation techniques. “It was a two-way exchange,” says Dr. Soong. “Our visitors also shared their own surgical innovations.”. During the two-week visit, the Ukrainian doctors observed surgeries from dawn to dusk, participated in specialized labs, and concentrated on advanced transplantation techniques, especially partial-thickness grafts. At the Eversight Eye Bank, they learned about tissue preparation and donation logistics. The team also shared sobering accounts of delivering care amidst the war, including clinics with bomb shelters, constant missile warnings, and direct attacks on medical facilities. “Despite the danger, one visitor learned midway through the trip that his own Kyiv clinic had been severely damaged, yet he refused to give up and continued to work unfalteringly. That is unsung bravery,” says Dr. Soong. Dr. Nallasamy added, “It was inspiring to witness the determination and optimism of our Ukrainian colleagues, who remained steadfast in their commitment to advancing patient care despite the challenges of wartime conditions. The August visit laid the foundation for the future. “We are a department that supports nations in need. This work has deepened my admiration for the doctors’ courage and commitment,” says Dr. Soong. “They could have left, but they chose to help their people. That’s all the more reason for us to help them.” The exchange has strengthened U-M’s role as a global leader in ophthalmology education, and further collaborations are planned. “I am grateful to have had the experience of visit-ing Michigan to learn how transplants are done here. I can begin to imagine how to perform them for my own patients,” says Dr. Parkhomenko.