Cover Art designed by one of our Kindness Ambassador for LFOE’s Lettering Campaign.

My Dad Errikos, who was known as Errik by his friends, spent his first 17 years on the island of Cyprus. He was born in 1931 and yearned to see the world. With intentions to live in the United States, my Dad bravely left his family and arrived by boat in Staten Island. He followed a cousin to Modesto, Calif., where he attended junior college for 2 years. He then traveled back across the country to Philadelphia to begin studying at the University of Pennsylvania. My Dad earned a degree in dentistry and studied oral surgery.

He served as a Captain in the United States Army for 2 years, practicing dentistry and saving money to attend Albany Medical College in New York. After earning his medical degree, he attended the University of Michigan as a resident in General Surgery, and completed a fellowship in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. In 1969, My Dad married his beloved and devoted wife, Manya. They moved to Philadelphia to start their lives. The couple moved to Okemos, Mich. after 6 months, where they would settle and raise their family.

My Dad was an accomplished surgeon. He maintained a private practice for over 30 years and was able to focus on helping people overcome disease and disfigurement. My Dad operated on countless congenital defects, such as facial and hand reconstructions, cleft lips, cleft palates and cancer removals. Unable to accept retirement at age 70, he went to work as an in-house plastic surgeon for a dermatologist, where he remained in practice for another 10 years. My Dad took many trips with his wife and their friends to places such as China, Australia, Peru, Brazil, Alaska and Russia during this time. They also took annual trips back home to Cyprus where they enjoyed visiting with family and friends.

While my Dad was completely committed to his career, he was also known as a gentleman. He will be remembered as a man of great intellect, gracious manner and uncompromising integrity. This was a truthful reflection of his personality among his colleagues and staff in the hospital and among his local community and friends. He was a proud member of church, medical and university associations. My Dad was Co-Founder and Director of Sparrow Hospital’s first Burn Unit. He served as Chief of Plastic Surgery at both regional area hospitals, and was a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery at Michigan State University (MSU). He served as President of the Michigan Academy of Plastic Surgeons and was elected to many other state and national boards. My Dad was also a strong supporter of the arts, including the MSU Broad Art Museum and Wharton Performing Arts Center.

A devoted husband and father, my Dad always supported his children by encouraging them to work hard and obtain a good education. He had a profound influence on my life and encouraged me to pursue my educational and professional goals. Always an optimist, he challenged me to face my obstacles head on and to not give up. My Dad always stressed the importance of being a contributing member of society and emphasized that this focus should be employed both personally and professionally. He was passionate about helping people and did so even when his patients did not have the financial means to pay their bills. He believed that healthcare was a universal right and he did not discriminate.

My Dad loved to read and learn about different cultures. He instilled that sense of curiosity and adventure in me. He also was committed to exercising and staying healthy, and would play tennis and work out daily. As a child, some of my favorite memories are completing our Sunday mornings jogs around the house and doing calisthenics with my Dad, brother and sister before breakfast. Despite having a demanding career, my Dad always made time for his family and inspired us to pursue our dreams. He provided both moral and financial support to us along the way.

My Dad passed away last year after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. I miss him terribly, but will forever remember his enduring love and support, kindness and strength of character.

After completing her bachelor degree in International Relations and German at the University of Michigan, Nadina moved to Chicago for a career in telecommunications. She attended DePaul University and graduated from the evening part-time MBA program in 2000. She has spent the past 25 years working in various management roles in Finance, Marketing and Sales within the IT industry. In her free time, she enjoys running on the lake, Pilates, traveling domestically and abroad, skiing and volunteering for a local food bank. She feels at home in Chicago and takes full advantage of what the city has to offer, from its great restaurants, theater, movies, art exhibits, festivals, concerts and different sporting events. She looks forward to grabbing coffee and brunch with friends, and to spending time with her family which includes her 5 nieces and nephews.