Humanitarian help for Ukraine

update 19

it's been a while, but thanks to the generous souls who send regular monthly donations, we're able to keep steadily funding much-needed medical equipment for hospitals in the Kryvih Rih area, as you can see below.

You may have heard of Kryvih Rih in the news recently, as they suffered serious damage and flooding due to the bombing of the Karachun hydraulic dam. This is a picture of a cruise missile taken from the window by our friend Vitali, who continues to volunteer.

On the brighter side, the laryngoscopes and aspirators we bought in Poland arrived!

The approaching winter is a scary prospect, particularly as energy supplies and utilities seem to be targeted, and the last money we sent over will be spent on electric heaters for those in most need.

Thanking you very warmly on behalf of our friends!

The Paypal donation link is here.

update 18

Over the past month or so, as the situation in Ukraine shifts, we've decided, with our Ukrainian friends, to concentrate on getting medical supplies to hospitals in Kryvih Rih and the surroundings. The doctors there send us specific lists of necessary equipment, and we try our best to translate it, source the items in Poland and get them there!

This week it was much more difficult to find things - laryngoscopes were 'going like fresh rolls' as they said in one medical shop I called. Especially those for children. Prices are also rising by the minute.

However, another place gave me a discount -'we have to help each other'- and rather mysteriously wrote an invoice for 'The lady from Ireland'. I sent that invoice on to the Ukrainian friend in Poland who will take the aspirators, laryngoscopes and pressure bandages to the guys who will be driving to Kryvih Rih. He was at work at the time - and before he knew it the boss had offered to pay it.

And so we carry on. I spent the very last penny of your money, and didn't get everything on the list, almost though!

Sending a big wave of gratefulness on to you. Link to donate here

and believe me every single penny helps.

update 17

another update - heartfelt thanks from Larisa Fedorivna, 85 years old, who cried when she received this medicine, and shared a poem she wrote, which i am trying to get translated. sometimes a picture says so much more than words do, though, even poetry. and do you recognise the boxes below? these are the suction machines, which finally arrived at their final destinations, delivered by our friend vitalii to hospitals in kryviyi rih. the staff were incredibly pleased and grateful. and of course, they need more. we've decided to focus on getting medical equipment through now, as there are serious shortages in ukraine (and spreading to the rest of europe too - there are already none of the pressure bandages needed left in lithuania).

it's incredibly heartening to me how money continues to flow, a whole new set of names and figures, even when times are hard for everybody, even when the shock fades and the me