Friends of Be an Angel

Yesterday, at the third edition of Café Kyiv — an inspiring event organized by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung — I had the privilege of presenting our journey at Be an Angel e.V. together with my colleague Sergiy Govorovskyy. In the past year, we have adjusted our focus to transitioning from humanitarian implementers to enablers of local NGOs within Ukraine. To quote a panel I saw yesterday from the Auswärtiges Amt (Federal Foreign Office) Germany and Help – Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe e. V.: "Globally, local organizations could deliver programming that is 32% more cost efficient than international organizations." Our presentation focused on three pathways of enabling with proven cases that we have conducted in the last year alone: 👉Technological Solutions: We have provided the frontline NGO "Strong Because Free" in Kherson an armored transport, iPads and a custom developed app for zero-line evacuations that both securely tracks their activities and also reduces their administrative workload by auto-producing documentation & liability forms for each operation. 👉Facilitated access to EU funding: The NGO Mission Ukraine was able to leverage our experience and long-term establishment to access a grant that allowed them to run three psychological support camps for frontline medics and doctors. Furthermore we opened our network to them to reduce costs of operation. 👉International Exchanges: Thanks to our U.S. team at Friends of Be an Angel and partners at August Mission, Ukrainian Medical Association of North America-UMANA, Douglas Davis, MD, PhD, MedGlobal and so many more, we were able to support and invite local teams to medical conferences and fostered research collaborations between Ukrainian and international experts in trauma and mental health. The story doesn't end there. We are already in contact with 5 additional NGOs who require this level of support and are looking forward to enhancing their capabilities. These cases exemplify the power of collaboration and localization in creating resilient support systems. Grateful to Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung and all partners for fostering such a dynamic platform at Café Kyiv. We hope to invite and inspire further collaborators, that while financial aid is crucial, there are other avenues of success to empower local Ukrainian NGOs to do what they do best. #BeAnAngel #CaféKyiv #Localization #HumanitarianAid #Empowerment #Ukraine #KonradAdenauerStiftung

The halt in aid today means that the patriot air defense systems protecting millions of lives will soon run out of ammunition. Just last week, the U.S. team loaded a shipment containing 16 pallets of protective firefighter equipment and hundreds of wireless routers provided by Advanced Wireless, Inc. Firefighting gear will be more important than ever with these new challenges ahead. The routers are destined for the city of Irpin. They will provide a city-wide public wi-fi network for schools and bomb shelters so that children can continue their classes during air raids. The support of individuals is needed now more than ever as funding has become incredibly difficult in the past weeks. We call for your support and ask you to donate to help us continue our work: https://lnkd.in/duY6Cmqk We thank our partners at Global Empowerment Mission and European Ukrainian Bridge (EUB) | Europäisch Ukrainische Brücke (EUB) for their support with logistics. Douglas Davis, MD, PhD

Be an Angel Global is excited to announce that we are supporting an the First National Forum on "Women in Medicine: Professional Growth and Leadership" in Ukraine. The Forum is committed to addressing gender equality in medicine, advancing reforms in medical education and healthcare, and fostering the development of leadership qualities, management competencies, and personal growth among both female and male medical professionals. The goal of the Forum is to unite the medical community, highlight the importance of gender equality in medicine, and provide tools for driving meaningful change. Some of the keynote speakers include: — Oleksandra Matviichuk, Nobel Peace Prize Winner and Human Rights Lawyer — Dr. Ulana Suprun, Former Acting Minister of Health of Ukraine, Founder, Chief Editor at ArcUA — Inna Sovsun, Member of the Ukrainian Parliament — Eva Kurilets, Executive director of Razom for Ukraine — Nelya Melnitchouk, MD, Founder of Global Medical Knowledge Alliance and Assistant Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School — and many more! Details: 📍 When: November 15–16 📍 Where: Lviv, Ukraine 📍 Organizers: Global Medical Knowledge Alliance in partnership with Razom 📍 Registration: https://lnkd.in/eTQi7sWE Many thanks to our friends and partners for organizing: MedGlobal, August Mission, Friends of Be an Angel, Give to the World, Olga Maihutiak 🇺🇦, Douglas Davis, MD, PhD 🇺🇸 🇺🇦, Nataliya Uboha and others along with the support of many academic institutions in the USA, Harvard Medical School, Yale School of Medicine, Stanford University, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Medical College of Wisconsin and others.

Right after the summit in Brussels, it was straight off to #Kyiv for the International #Healthcare Summit organized by August Mission, MedGlobal, Ukrainian Medical Association of North America-UMANA and supported by Be an Angel e.V. and Friends of Be an Angel at the Shupyk National Healthcare University. This was an incredible two-day session with the some of the best #surgeons, #prosthetic engineers, #mentalhealth specialists and medical researchers in the country, all united with one mission: to save lives in this horrible war. This conference gave us the opportunity to share our research, experiences and to synergize and partner where needed. There are some exciting projects that came out of this, but more on that soon. The conference was divided into two sections. ⚕ Orthopedics, Trauma & Rehab: ⦿ Col. Konstantyn Humeniyuk, Chief Surgeon of the AFU: on the topic of critical aspects of current combat trauma and the role of stabilization points ⦿ Dr. Dmytro Beshley, live from the front-line, on the topic of tourniquet syndrome and how 41% of amputations are a result from prolonged use of tourniquest ⦿ Dr. B. Hudson Berrey and Hailie Uren: incredible talk about infection and rehabilitation challenges ⦿The prosthetics engineers of Superhumans Center and Aether Biomedical on the topic of rehabilitation and firsthand prosthetics experience in Ukraine. Currently, there an estimated >100,000 amputees in Ukraine, presenting a significant challenge on supply chain and rehabilitation. ⦿ much, much more! 🧠 Mental Health: ⦿ Viacheslav Mishiyev, on the topic of providing psychological & psychiatric care in war conditions ⦿ Ksenia Vosnitsyna , on the current legal situation, implementation and status of psychadelic-assisted trauma therapy for veterans in Ukraine ⦿ Anton Volosovets, on emergency psychological care and prevention of PTSD ⦿ again, much much more. I will post more to these topics individually in the next coming days (still running around the country!) Thank you to all of my old, and new friends for the chance to be a part of this! Douglas Davis, MD, PhD , Megan Laughlin Williams, LCPC from USAID, Bruce Roberts , Craig Bryan , AnnaBelle Bryan, Oleg Shevchenko, Eric Ramcharran , Taras Mahlay, Roxolana Horbowyj, Michael Samotowka, MD, FACS, FCCP, FCCM , Nick Cartwright, David Edgel, Alan L., Lina Belei, Olga Maihutiak, MD , Dr. Brenden Borrowman , B. Hudson Berrey , Uliana Pidvalna, Jarvis Mak

In April, member Douglas Davis, MD, PhD joined the Mountain Seed Foundation on a memorable journey to Ukraine, where he visited the Ukrainian Rehabilitation and Paralympics Center alongside Paralympic champion and former Navy SEAL, Dan Cnossen. This visit was deeply personal, as Dr. Davis witnessed Dan's powerful connection with Ukrainian soldiers and amputees. One soldier, Anatoly, left a particularly strong impression. Despite suffering a paralyzing spinal cord injury, Anatoly's determination has propelled him to train for the Paralympics biathlon team, the same sport Dan excels in. When the war started, he, his two brothers, and his father all volunteered. He was 18 at the time. As a sniper, he sustained a paralyzing spinal cord injury in August of last year. He came to the Paralympics Center for rehab after leaving the hospital, and Dr. Davis first met him shortly after with surgical colleagues from MedGlobal in December. Since then, Anatoly has done so well that he is now training to join the Paralympics biathlon team, the same sport as Dan. Click the link below to read the rest of his inspiring story. https://lnkd.in/dpWxgZGK -- Be an Angel e.V. Mykola Pustovoychenko Michael Samotowka, MD, FACS, FCCP, FCCM Give to the World Ukrainian Medical Association of North America-UMANA

Many of my friends are posting about the Children's Hospital in Kyiv being bombed today. I want to share how deeply this has touched me. For over two years, I have been running a program through the nonprofit Friends of Be an Angel and Be an Angel e.V. to evacuate children with rare diseases from Ukraine for treatment. Many came to my home. Dozens of children who have become like family to me have come through this very Children's Hospital, and one of my families was on the way there when this horrific event occurred. It is cruel and unthinkable when a rocket destroys a children's hospital. Even without a personal connection, you feel empathy, anger, pain, and so many other emotions. When you know and are close to those in danger, you also become frightened for them and feel an urgent need to act. This is why I am writing this post—a call to action. Please support Friends of Be an Angel or any another Ukrainian organization. Make a small gesture today for the frightened, sick Ukrainian children who now have to endure unbearable fear on top of their illness. Help.

This morning, Russian missile strikes targeted Ukraine’s largest children’s medical center, Okhmatdyt hospital. Friends of Be an Angel has been partnered with the Human Right’s Commissioner for Children and the Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital since March 2023. We assist the hospital with the evacuation and treatment of children with rare diseases, as well as provide tons of medicine and medical supplies. Together, we have evacuated over 46 children with conditions like spinal muscular atrophy and Wolman’s disease. Over half of the children have been facilitated to us from Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital. We strongly condemn these attacks. Civilians are not targets. Hospitals are not targets. They must be protected!

Since March 2022, we have evacuated over 23,500 people, totaling 272 buses, from front line cities. 272 times, we somberly watched as our passengers said their teary goodbyes to their homes and family. 272 times, we accompanied them through the final checkpoint into a new country – for many their first-time leaving Ukraine.   272 times too many.   On this day, we call for solidarity with those who have been forced to flee from conflict and persecution. At Friends of Be an Angel, we are dedicated to protecting their rights and helping them build a better future. From the families and individuals internally displaced to the those seeking shelter abroad, we stand united in the fight for the safety, well-being, and inclusion of Ukrainians worldwide.   This year, we have partnered with esteemed German artist Olaf Hajek and renown fashion brand Echo New York in support the people of Ukraine who have been uprooted from their homes in the wake of the full-scale Russian invasion.   Echo New York will be donating 50% of the proceeds from the sale of this limited-edition scarf. These funds will be used to continue the work of our evacuation operations and assisting refugees in their integration process in countries abroad. Link: https://lnkd.in/dd8FTeBn   #WorldRefugeeDay #SupportUkraine

You and your colleagues are cordially invited by Anya Verkhovskaya, MBA and Friends of Be an Angel to attend a Unity Concert to Benefit Ukrainian Children with Spinal Muscular Atrophy. The concert will take place on March 16th at 7 pm in Madison, Wisconsin. Pay forward by forwarding this invitation to your colleagues, family and friends in Madison. Click on the link below to buy tickets or donate. With gratitude! https://lnkd.in/gAa9Qp5U