Great news! Back in January we raised $21,975 to deliver medical supplies and automatic electronic defibrillators (AEDs) to frontline ambulances in Ukraine. It has taken several months, but finally we can report the delivery from Poland to Ukraine of 11 BeneHeart C1A AEDs and a BeneHeart D30 AED. These AEDs have been installed in frontline ambulances operated by the rescue service of the Red Cross of Ukraine.
We would like to again thank our many donors, and especially our Platinum Sponsors Wegmans and aTonalHits, our Silver Sponsors The Rochester Academy of Medicine, and our Bronze Sponsors Allison L. Giordano, MD and The Ukrainian Federal Credit Union for their incredible support in making this important delivery possible.
On August 6, 2022 the Ukraine Medical Relief Fund held a fundraising event hosted by Three Heads Brewing, here in our very own Rochester, NY! We are thrilled that we had a great turnout, and we thank our new friends and old for coming by to support Ukraine and our work. Our donors make what we do possible, and between the raffle, silent auction, and donations through our website we raised several thousand dollars that we will turn into medicines and supplies for Ukrainian hospitals! Although the Ukraine war has slipped out of the everyday headlines here in the US, our donors get it – the war hasn’t stopped, and so our relief work won’t stop either.
This past weekend Ayala Smotrich, a representative of the French-Israeli non-governmental organization Rescuers Without Borders / Sauveteurs Sans Frontières visited Rochester, NY. SSF is known in Israel for its work providing training and medical trauma kits to shorten the response time to victims of terrorist attacks. They operate under the motto “Whoever saves one life, saves the entire world.” We first met SSF when our friend and colleague Dr. Neil Scheier volunteered with their organization at their refugee welcome center in Medyka, Poland back in April 2022. SSF was the first international NGO to arrive on the Poland-Ukraine border after the start of the full Russian onslaught in February 2022, and immediately set up a medical tent to care for Ukrainians fleeing the violence.
Dr. Nataliya Falshtynska, an adult neurologist, suffered severe injuries from the Russian missile attack on the Neuromed clinic in Vynnitsia, Ukraine on July 14, 2022. She died from her injuries on July 19, 2022.
Dr. Pavlo Kovalchuk, a child neurologist, also suffered severe injuries in the attack on Vynnitsia. He was moved for specialized burn care to Krakow, Poland, where he died from his injuries on August 2, 2022.
This war has impacted nearly every Ukrainian family. Is there a part of the country that feels safe? Events of the past week especially have shown us how fragile life can be.
Kharkiv remains very much on the front lines, with missiles and rockets hitting civilians at random. Throughout this war we have been sending supplies to the 1st Children’s Polyclinic in Kharkiv. A few weeks ago, the staff reached out with a wishlist of medical supplies and equipment that they needed, and we responded immediately, and with the help of the Ukrainian American Cultural Association of Oregon and SW Washington, sent them what they requested. Those supplies arrived last week.
Medical aid shipment arrives at the Children’s Oncologic Hospital in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine.
Our fastest shipment yet!
At the end of June 2022, doctors at the Children’s Oncologic Hospital in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine reached out to us requesting essential medications they were having trouble sourcing due to the ongoing war. We responded immediately, and on July 1, 2022 we shipped 72 lbs / 32.5 kg in prescription antibiotics, antifungals, anti-nausea medications, as well as over-the-counter medicines, medical protective equipment, and other hospital supplies. This shipment was put together in cooperation with our friends at RocMaidan. Our new friends at the Ukrainian-American Cultural Association of OR & SW WA, covered the cost and logistics of shipping.
On July 12, 2022 our shipment of $9172.10 in prescription medications and other hospital supplies arrived to our friends and colleagues at the Children’s Hospital No. 5 in Kharkiv, Ukraine.
It took a couple of days to compile all the video we received, but now the footage is complete and available on our YouTube channel:
We hope you enjoy watching our medications and supplies arrive as much as we do!
