A man with advanced Parkinson's Disease had a major improvement in quality of life after undergoing deep-brain stimulation surgery. See the difference in this video.
* Zaitseva underwent deep brain stimulation surgery in New Jersey, significantly improving her motor functions.
When Russian rockets began raining down on her family's neighborhood in Kyiv three years ago, Anastasia Kolomeithuk knew she had to get her mother Tetiana Zaitseva out of Ukraine.
Tetiana was in no condition to endure war. Hobbled with Parkinson's disease for more than a decade, the bombings made her tremors worse. The ability to do everyday tasks such as getting dressed or cutting food became all but impossible.
"They destroyed a house just two blocks away from us," Anastasia said. "The bombings were terrible. Our house would shake. Our windows would break. We could no longer stay there."
Anastasia, 37, and Tetiana, 63, set out on a journey that would take them away from the eastern front, through the roads of Eastern Europe and finally to the peace and calm of New Jersey's suburbs. It wasn't easy.
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Tetiana and Anastasia spoke to NorthJersey.com before President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Alaska on Aug. 15 to discuss a possible peace process for the 11-year-old conflict that was escalated in February 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine. It was also before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other European leaders met with Trump at the White House on Aug. 18.
The two do not want to weigh in on geopolitics, but said they have been concerned about the on-again, off-again peace process of the last few months, yet are hopeful it can be achieved.
"We just want to be optimistic," Anastasia said. "That's all we can do now."
Tetiana, a longtime nurse, was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2008. It progressed slowly but steadily. She was desperate for care and traveled to Israel and Dubai for treatment before the war. Nothing seemed to work.
Parkinson's is a brain disorder that occurs when nerve cells break down, causing major problems with movement that get worse over time.
Tetiana was forced to quit her job when the fatigue became too much. She started to slur her words and shuffle her feet. Her handwriting became nearly illegible. Anastasia became her primary caregiver.
"She kept saying to me, 'I don't want to live like this. I don't want to be a burden to you,'" Anastasia said.
Symptoms worsen as war escalates
Tetiana's symptoms only grew worse as the war with Russia escalated. The decision to leave was difficult, but unavoidable, Anastasia said.
With the help of friends, they drove west in March 2022 with the hope of crossing into Poland. But the gas tank was running low and fuel supplies for civilians were becoming scarce.
They changed course and headed south to Moldova, passing by tanks and soldiers heading toward the front. They nearly ran out of gas but were able to siphon some from other cars.
The made it to Moldova in four days and eventually headed to the U.S., where they were greeted by Anastasia's brother, who had settled in New Jersey years before. "He said, 'Relax, relax. There are no bombs here,'" Anastasia recalled.
Months after they were settled, Anastasia began the second part of her quest: finding treatment for her mom.
Deep brain stimulation surgery
Tetiana's Parkinson's did not respond well to medication. She was robbed of most of her motor functions. When she met with doctors at Hackensack Meridian Health's Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, they thought she would be a good candidate for deep brain stimulation surgery, where electrodes are planted in the brain to deliver stimulation to the areas that control movement.
The procedure, which was performed in September, first required a complex mapping of Tetiana's brain to ensure the electrodes were placed in the proper locations. After surgery, the medical team had to balance how much medication she should still be taking and how much electric stimulation she needed.
For Tetiana, the first improvements came within a matter of days. The tremors lessened. She was able to freely move her hands and arms. Within weeks she was able to do things most people take for granted.
"I can dress myself," she said as Anastasia translated for her. "I can make coffee. I can write my name. I can open and close buttons."
"I think, as is true for many patients, she is going to look back and say, 'I wish I did it sooner,'" said Dr. Shabbar Danish, chair of neurosurgery at the hospital.
Tetiana said she has loved her time in America, settling in Monmouth County. She is grateful for not only the medical care but the peace. But she still feels a lot of homesickness.
"It's a beautiful country here, but when you're older and you're away, you sometimes feel like you're not in the place you should be," she said.
Anastasia put it more succinctly: "If the war ends tomorrow, my mom would go back tomorrow."