Dr. Vainutis Vaitkevicius

NEAL SHINE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
This award is named after Neal Shine, the retired publisher of the Detroit Free Press who passed away earlier this year.  During his lifetime Neal exemplified all the qualities that are associated with this honor.  After 40 years of service to the paper, he retired in 1990 but was called back from retirement to become publisher, guiding the newspaper through a period of change.  He retired again in 1995 but continued to use his experience and skill as a faculty member at Oakland University until his recent retirement.  Operation ABLE was fortunate to have Neal on its Board of Directors for four years, including two terms as Board Chairman. 

Originally known simply as the Neal Shine Award, between 1990 and 2001 this honor was presented annually to a wide range of outstanding mature workers who were nominated by their employers in recognition of their valuable contributions in the workplace and in the community.  In 2002 the honor was renamed the Neal Shine Lifetime Achievement Award and is presented by the Board of Directors of Operation ABLE to an individual in the community who has played a prominent role as a mentor, motivator, and role model over many years and who has made a truly remarkable impact on the quality of our lives.

Operation ABLE of Michigan is honored to present Dr. Vainutis Vaitkevicius with the 2007 Neal Shine Lifetime Achievement Award.

VAINUTIS VAITKEVICIUS, M.D. M.A.C.P.
Dr. Vainutis Vaitkevicius – “Dr. Vee” to those who know him – has spent the past 56 years treating and comforting cancer patients and their families, teaching new oncologists, conducting research and leading the Detroit-based Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute.

Dr. Vee was born in 1927 in Kaunas, Lithuania.  As a child, he dreamed of becoming a classical pianist, a dream  that was shattered by the horrors of World War II.

Lithuania was overrun by the Soviet Union in 1940 and then by Germany in 1941.  War death totaled an estimated 250,000 Lithuanians, 15 percent of the population.  These include the Soviet deportations in 1941, the German deportation and Holocaust victims.

When the Soviets invaded his country in 1940, the 13-year-old Vainutis was separated from his parents and siblings.  His parents, older brother and infant brother were sent to Siberia.  His father was sent to one concentration camp, where he later died.  His mother and two brothers were sent to another camp.  They would never see their husband and father again.

Dr. Vee was not home at the time his family was seized.  He ended up living with his grandfather, a physician, on his farm.  He also spent time with his aunt, who was also a physician.  These two family members planted in him an interest in science and medicine.

In 1944, when the Germans discovered that his grandfather was harboring him, a Jew, they sent his grandfather to a prison camp where he was killed.  Dr. Vee was about 17 then and he was taken to a labor camp – an ammunition factory.   He remained at that labor camp for several months until the war ended in 1945.

Following the war, he completed medical studies in Germany at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in 1951.  Upon receiving his medical degree, Dr. Vaitkevicius came to Detroit because he had friends here and began an internship at The Grace Hospital.  Although fluent in both German and French, he wanted to improve his English and so studied English at the same time he was doing his internship.

He was drafted to serve in the Armed Forces during the Korean War.  After serving in Korea as a First Lieutenant and then as Captain, he completed residencies at Grace Hospital and Detroit Receiving Hospital, worked for several local hospitals and served on the faculty of Wayne State University.

Almost 50 years ago, in 1958 he was awarded a Cancer Research Fellowship at the Detroit Institute of Cancer Research and became the Institute's clinical director in 1962.  The Institute later merged with the Michigan Cancer Foundation and Dr. Vee was appointed its president in 1991.

In 1974, along with colleagues Dr. Norman Nigro and Dr. Basil Considine, Dr. Vaitkevicius published the article “Combined Therapy for Cancer of the Anal Canal.”  This breakthrough study led to a major shift in the treatment of cancer patients, including the preservation of organs, the involvement of multidisciplinary teams, and the use of chemotherapy before surgery.

In 1995, the Michigan Cancer Foundation was renamed the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, and Dr. Vee, as president emeritus, played a key role in making the institute one of 39 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers.

Dr. Vaitkevicius has written and co-written more than 100 books and publications, and participated in numerous studies.  In August, 2007 Crain's Detroit Business named him a "Health Care Hero."

Now 80, Dr. Vee has touched countless patients, and peers say he is legendary for his compassion.  He spends most of his time taking care of his wife, Ingeborg, but still sees patients once a week.

Dr. Vaitkevicius is devoted to his wife, family and patients.  He and Ingeborg have six children and 15 grandchildren.  He cherishes life and the opportunity to serve so that others can live their life to the fullest.