A doctor and trailblazer in ethiopia’s neurosurgery field passed away in Bend this week.
Dutch-American Doctor Marinus “Dick” Koning trained Ethiopia’s first generation of neurosurgeons to treat babies and children with spina bifida. That’s a condition that affects the spine and is usually apparent at birth.
He and his twin brother founded the Reach Another Foundation in 2009, establishing medical centers in Ethiopia for treating patients and training doctors.
The two were knighted by the royal household in The Netherlands for their achievements.
For 30 years, Koning practiced surgery in Redmond and Bend.
He died of a brain tumor at age 76. Koning is survived by his wife Patricia.
