Mila Kania retires from the Herbert Kania Pediatric Group

WARWICK — On Friday, Nov. 13, Mila Kania, who described herself as a "Gal Friday" for the Herbert Kania Pediatric Group at 10 Ronald Reagan Boulevard in Warwick, was honored at a retirement party held at the Copper Bottom Restaurant in the Village of Florida.

In 1974, her husband, Dr. Herbert Kania, opened the first pediatric practice in Warwick.

He was known and loved for his somewhat unorthodox advice such as "Give her bananas," which one anxious mother reported, worked well for her and her daughter who was suffering with a stomach virus.

His holistic approach, described as way ahead of his time, was to also console the parent while treating the child.

In 1992, at age 63, and working almost to the very last day, he lost his two-year bout with stomach cancer.

Kania, who had been a pediatrician in Communist-controlled Czechoslovakia, at that time, came to the United States in 1968.

His wife, Mila, and their two children followed one year later.

"They ran away in front of the tanks," said Dr. Luciano Barone, who joined The Herbert Kania Pediatric Group in 1981.

His reference was to a brief period of liberalization after which Soviet tanks rolled into Czechoslovakia. It was just before then when Dr. Kania and later his family escaped.

Mila Kania had taught physical education in Czechoslovakia. She was a natural born athlete and not only ran for exercise but earned numerous trophies and held the world's championship in her class and category. Her husband shared her love for running but she was usually in the lead.

"Most of the trophies have breasts," she quipped.

Mila Kania, now in her eighties, has no particular plans for her retirement.

She visited her native home in Czechoslovakia a couple of years ago but her ties to that community are long gone.

"She's my second mother," said Dr. Mark Horowitz, who has been with the Herbert Kania Pediatric Group for over 35 years. "And we will all miss her."

- Roger Gavan