Memorial for Dr. Kornertsky
Dr. Irwin spoke at Dr. Ken’s September 15th Memorial. The memorial was very well attended with many wonderful remarks and stories shared amongst family and friends.
Dr. Irwin shared that Dr. Ken was a great doctor who was very interested in the plight of the poor. He lived with great empathy for his patients and will be remembered as a global humanitarian.
He will be dearly missed but his efforts will continue to help Medical Missionaries continue on in its work.
St. Joseph Clinic manager, Junior Charles Saint-Fleur, organized a memorial service that included the clinic staff and others who knew Dr. Korntetsky.
Junior wrote the following
of Dr. Ken. “Legend Never Dies”
Dear Ken
I understood
That even if I cry, you won’t come back.
That the sadness in my eyes will never be lost.
That I will forever look to heaven, searching for a sign that perhaps can never come.
That until my last breath, I will always have this emptiness in my chest that nothing and no one will fill.
That everyone can forget it, but I never will.
That a thousand times I will ask myself why you had to leave, and there will never be an answer.
That many will tell me to stop suffering as time goes by, but for me this pain will continue like the first moment of your departure.
That everyone will continue with their lives, as if nothing had happened, while mine has completely and radically changed.
That I will have to celebrate your birthday in silence, without candles, cake, or matinees.
That my strength lies in thinking that each day that passes is one less day to find you.
And that I’ve learned to smile even when a tear is about to fall in my eyes.
That I won’t look at you the same way I used to, and I’ll miss your smile, your voice, your hugs.
It’s hard to understand, but it’s all already sunk in.
The real problem is that I don’t yet know when your absence will stop hurting…and maybe I’ll never know.
Friends of Medical Missionaries Fall Festival
Medical Missionaries will host their annual Friends of Medical Missionaries Fall Festival at Windy Knoll Farm on Saturday October 25th from 2pm-6pm. Tickets are on sale! Stay tuned for updates as our planning goes into high drive!
Supplies and Equipment In and Out
Grundy: Medical Missionaries continues its support of the Rocklick Food Pantry in Grundy, Appalachia. We are collecting food for the holidays and gifts for the Grundy 2025 Holiday Giving event. Please be generous and “Fill a Bag for Grundy” to help make their 2025 Holiday Giving extra special!
This month’s trip to Grungy was improved with an assist from George Neal, who pulled our trailer loaded with food and other essentials to Highway 81. There it was attached to Greg and Dr. George Bazaco’s truck for the long trip into Applachia. This team effort saved over an hour for the 8-hour trip.
There is a great need for the below items. You can drop them off at the office, or have Amazon (or any other favorite retailer) ship to our office at 9590 SURVEYOR CT., MANASSAS, VA 20110. Please let us know if there are items on the way.
- Dinner items such as canned hams, boxed potatoes and desserts
- Canned goods such as meat, fish, stew, chili, soup, fruit, vegetables
- Holiday items such as cranberry sauce
- Peanut butter
- Baby food, formula and diapers
- Grain products
- Cereal, rice, pasta
- Cooking oil
- Powdered milk
- Paper towels, toilet paper
- New toys or gift items for teenagers.
Please no glass jars. Thank you!
The Traveling Colonels In Ukraine: Dr. Irwin reported that a large donation has been given to Ukraine to serve those wounded in the ongoing war. Ret. Col. Monte Dunard share this update:
Hello from Kyiv,
I was in Ukraine working to support our ongoing operations here since July until recently. We have had an influx of great volunteers which really turned things around.
We try to highlight that we are not trying to change the outcome of the war but trying to impact one life or one family’s outcome from the war. Donations are not going to change the war but they certainly seem to help the soldiers.
All donations help as everything is needed and used. We send items to two regional pediatric hospitals, military hospitals, rural community and city hospitals in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Lviv and Zaporizhzhai and to forward deployed soldiers and doctors. We have military neurosurgeons and pediatric doctors that I chat with nearly daily on support requirements.
There is not much news in the papers about Ukraine but the war continues; attacks on civilians across Ukraine and the senseless deaths also continue. Our work, however large or small, is making a difference. We also hear we are making a difference from the doctors we support. We are definitely sure it is making a difference in soldier’s care and lives.
Your donations are important and your help keeps things going. There is not time enough in the day to adequately thank everyone as well as I should – and send out aid. Thank you!
You can see other updates from The Traveling Colonels at our website.
A young couple with a small child was recently referred to our office. They are facing significant challenges due to the mother’s severe medical condition and their current lack of insurance. Medical Missionaries stepped in to provide essential health care and medical supplies, helping to ease her discomfort and reduce the family’s stress during this difficult time.
The couple expressed deep gratitude for the warm welcome and compassionate assistance they received from Medical Missionaries. Their story is just one of many that our office team encounters each day—each a reminder of the meaningful impact that dedicated care and community support can have.
By the numbers: In September we had 160 drop offs and 60 pick ups at the office.