In the Warsaw Chamber Opera on 26th November 2016 took place the 6th edition of the Gala of the Mazowsze Women of Success 2016 organized under the patronage of the Deputy Marshal of the Senate Maria Koc, Marshal of the Mazowieckie Voivodship Adam Struzik and the International Forum for Women. The main laureate elected this year was Magdalena Daniel from Siedlce – pediatric surgeon, chief surgeon of the Pediatric surgery and Traumatology Clinic in Siedlce. For several years the Women of Success have been awarding also a man whom they admire for a passion for life and creativity. This year this special distinction was awarded to Prof. Henryk Skarżyński.

In the Laudation prepared by the Women of Success we can read the reasons why they admire Prof. Henryk Skarżyński: „He is a world famous ear surgeon, expert in otorhinolaryngology, audiology and phoniatrics, the first surgeon in Poland who performed cochlear implantation (in 1992), brainstem (in 1998) and middle ear (in 2003). In 2002 he developed the first in the world program of treatment of partial deafness in adults and implanted the first patient with partial deafness, and in 2004 implanted the first child with partial deafness. He is the author and co-author of over 2500 Polish and international scientific publications. He is conducting wide-scale teaching activities for students and physicians from Poland and abroad. He is the owner of 14 patents, author of the so-called ‘Skarżyński method’ in surgery, for which he had developed a new electrode and clinical procedure and which had been implemented in many centers around the world (…)”.

Prof. Skarżyński, thanking for the distinction, had underlined the special role of women cooperating with him: – I owe my success to the more than 300 women who work with me. I thank them most heartily. Also among the 200 thousand patients whom I had operated, the decisive majority were female patients. Thank you very much for this award and I will be happy to repeat all kind words spoken here to my collaborators.
The originator and organizer of the Choices of Women of Success is Ewa Domaradzka-Ziarek – for many years a journalist of the Radio Olsztyn. Her series of radio interviews with the exceptional women gave rise to the initiative of presenting their achievements during the Gala of the Women of Success. With time, in this select group had been included also the worthy and reputable men.

Among the men distinguished in the previous year there were: Emilian Kamiński, actor, founder of the Teatr Kamienica, who is actively working for people with disabilities; dr. Ludwik Sobolewski, former president of the Warsaw Stock Exchange, for promoting women participation in the boards of companies listed on the stock exchange; Piotr Pacewicz, journalist of Gazeta Wyborcza, initiator of the action ‘To give birth in humane conditions’ („Rodzić po ludzku”) and dr. Tadeusz Witwicki, surgeon, expert in the reconstructive surgery performing breast reconstructions after mastectomy. The Women in Warmia and Mazury had also given their awards to Mamed Chalidow, Krzysztof Hołowczyc, Przemysław Saleta, Ryszard Rynkowski, and in Silesia to Prof. Jerzy Buzek and Prof. Andrzej Bochenek – heart surgeon.