With every shipment of donated medical aid, Razom’s Health Team, which collects and delivers large in-kind donations, hears about the impact of its work directly from Ukrainian medical practitioners. Sometimes, these messages are bittersweet, but they remind us why we must #SupportUkraine.
Recently, we shipped 30 jars of Weaver Ten20 Conductive Paste and four boxes of topiramate (an anticonvulsant medication) — donated by Dr. Soma Sengupta at the University of Cincinnati — to Dr. Mariia Pavliuk, a Pediatric Neurologist/Neurophysiologist at St. Nicholas Hospital in Lviv.
Dr. Pavliuk and her colleagues in the Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery will use these items to conduct EEG tests and detect possible seizure activities in their pediatric patients. Here is what Dr. Pavliuk shared with us after receiving the donation:
“Thank you so so much! I received everything! And unpacked today! It somehow raised my mood, because today I discovered that a colleague of mine from Vinnytsia died because of a missile attack that happened a couple of weeks ago… He had burn injuries on more than 40% of skin and didn’t survive. He was my age, he had a family, and he also built plans for how to improve pediatric neurology care in Ukraine. And now he is dead because of a rocket, which attacked him while he was at work… I am destroyed… Please take care, and thank you for everything you are doing for us! Big hugs!”
—— If you have any offers or questions about large in-kind medical donations for Ukrainian hospitals please write to hospitals@razomforukraine.org
Today, get a behind the scenes look at Razom operations through two major articles spotlighting our work. First, as a nonprofit operating in the U.S. and Ukraine, and second, as a volunteer powerhouse that’s shipped over 85,000 IFAKs to Ukraine. You’ll also get important updates on our events and fundraisers. In all the different ways you take part in this community, we are grateful!
Dear Razom Community,
Last week Razom got an exclusive feature in the Chronicle of Philanthropy, the most prominent publication on philanthropy in the US, titled “How One Tiny, All-Volunteer Nonprofit Raised $57 Million for Ukraine”. We are grateful to hear the story of our work from the outside and shine a light on some of the amazing people who are doing this work. If you’d like to get a peek behind the scenes of Razom’s operations and Emergency Response work, we recommend you give it a read. Here’s a quote from the piece:
“Having more than 130,000 people turn to you and give you more than $50 million to work with to try to help people is not an easy thing to come to terms with,” says Maryna Prykhodko, who is in charge of social media and advocacy. At 27, she is the group’s youngest board member. “Some people would be paralyzed or debilitated with this huge weight on their shoulders. Every day you have to get yourself ready for the task at hand.”
Thank you for your continued support and trust in us so that we can continue do the work. The work to save lives in Ukraine right now, and build a more prosperous Ukraine for the future.
Now onto some updates.
Week over week, the hospitals team coordinates in-kind donations from international organizations and local hospitals to ship and distribute medical equipment and medicines to hospitals in need in Ukraine. Below, what we were able to accomplish last week:
We shipped 30 jars of Weaver Conductive Ten20 Paste and 4 boxes of Topiramate (an anticonvulsant medication), generously donated by MD Soma Segupta from University of Cincinnati, to MD Mariia Pavliuk, a Pediatric Neurologist/ Neurophysiologist in the Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery at St. Nicholas Hospital in Lviv. Conductive Ten20 Paste will be used to conduct EEG tests and detect possible seizure activities in the pediatric patients at St Nicholas Hospital in Lviv. Here’s what Dr. Mariia Pavliuk wrote back to us after receiving the package:
Thank you so so much! I received everything! And unpacked today! It somehow raised my mood, because today I discovered that a colleague of mine from Vinnytsia died because of missile attack that was couple weeks ago… he had burn injuries of more than 40% of skin and didn’t survive. He was my age, he had a family and he also built a plans how to improve pediatric neurology care in Ukraine. And now he is dead because of rocket which attacked him while he was at work… I am destroyed… Please take care, and thank you for everything you are doing for us! Big hugs!
Americares continues to support Ukrainian Civilian Hospitals with another generous donation of medication. Our trusted parter on the ground Zdorovi is in the process of distributing the medications to hospitals in need.
We are still in the process of distributing the Medela WoundVacs (and its necessary parts) to hospitals in need across Ukraine.
New generous donor Dukal, a medical equipment manufacturer, donated an entire 40ft container of gauze and sponges which is now en route via sea to Ukrainian Hospitals. These much needed medical supplies will be used in ORs across Ukraine during surgeries.
Razom has shipped over 85,000 IFAKs to Ukraine, and our team of warehouse volunteers in the US packs on average 6,000-8,000 IFAKs per week. Ever wondered what it takes to reach that kind of scale, and more importantly, who shows up to volunteer their time to do the work well and why? We recently published a beautiful piece about it on our website, spotlighting nine out of the 400 amazing people who do this work — a marketer, an IT pro, multiple husband-wife duos, a retired US veteran, a project manager, a teacher, and a doctor. Read their amazing stories here.
Please join us in Washington, D.C. for a Ukraine Action Summit! We invite individuals organizations — not just Ukrainian groups, either! — who are invested in advocating for Ukraine to Washington from September 18-21. The Action Summit is co-sponsored by Razom for Ukraine, the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America, United Help Ukraine, U.S.-Ukrainian Activists, the Joint Baltic American National Committee (JBANC), Ukrainian Medical Association of North America (UMANA), Ukrainian Catholic University Foundation, Kyiv Mohyla Foundation of America, MedGlobal, the Syria Faith Initiative, the American Coalition for Syria, the Ukrainian-American Crisis Response Committee of Michigan, and Florida For Ukraine. Organizations interested in co-sponsoring should reach out to summit@americancoalitionforukraine.org This Action Summit will be an opportunity for organizations and advocates all over the U.S. to coalesce in Washington, D.C. and exchange best advocacy practices to continue educating our elected representatives about why the U.S. must continue helping Ukraine prevail. Your voice is critical both to our joint advocacy efforts, as well as to ensuring that members of Congress understand how important it is to help Ukrainians prevail against this ruthless invasion. Please be sure to register here by August 30, 2022.
This Saturday, August 13th at 3:30pm join us at Times Square for a protest to demand actions from the international community in order to release Ukrainian prisoners of war. Various international organizations have taken responsibility for the safety of captured Ukrainian soldiers, but all we see is the horrific killing of Ukrainian POWs as a result of a treacherous terrorist act by russia in Olenivka. Join us and speak out against censorship in social networks and inaction on the part of international organizations. We will not let the world forget about Ukrainians who defend the liberty and values of the entire free world. __ Цієї суботи, 13 серпня, о 15:30, Таймс-Сквер приєднуйтесь до нашого протесту та вимагайте дій щодо звільнення українських військовополонених. Різні міжнародні організації взяли на себе відповідальність за безпеку наших полонених солдатів, але ми бачимо лише жахливі вбивства українських військовополонених внаслідок віроломного терористичного акту Росії в Оленівці. Приєднуйтесь щоб висловитися проти цензури в соціальних мережах, брехні та бездіяльності міжнародних організацій. Ми не дамо світу забути про українських воїнів, які захищають свободу та цінності всього вільного світу.
There are a lot of amazing folks around the globe organizing events and fundraisers in fun and interesting ways, and this week we want to spotlight the Door County Candle Company, a small Ukrainian, family-owned, Wisconsin business that has donated over $700,000 to Razom through its Ukraine candle sales since the invasion. It’s doubling down its “Light to Unite” donation efforts to meet a $1M donation goal on or before Ukraine’s national Independence Day on August 24.
From now until 8/24, the company will be donating $5 from every online sale of its traditional yellow Lemongrass and blue Lakeshore 16 oz. candles– the official colors of Ukraine, and will continue to donate 100% of profits from its Ukraine candle.
This little but mighty shop has made tremendous impact on Razom thanks to the commitment and creativity of its young Ukrainian-American owner, Christiana Gorchynsky Trapani and her surrounding community, to fulfill record breaking amounts of orders.
Online: a round-up of incredible Ukrainian art for a cause!
Black and White Project Space is sponsoring Buy an Icon – Save a Life in Ukraine art auction featuring the work of Ukrainian artists Sonia Atlantova and Olexander Klimenjko titled Icons on Ammunition Boxes. Since 2015, they have painted on wooden fragments from military ammunition boxes left by russian soldiers on the battle fields in Eastern Ukraine, found by Ukrainian deminers and rescued by medical volunteers from the Pirogov First Volunteer Mobile Hospital (PFVMH). 100% of sale proceeds will go to PFVMH (ПДМШ), a Razom grantee partner. You can learn more about their amazing work here.
Awethentic Gallery has curated an Art for Ukraine collection featuring paintings and prints from a variety of renowned Ukrainian artists. Some of their works focus on the recent Russian invasion while others focus on the beauty of Ukraine. In the collection, 20-100% of the net proceeds will go to Razom and the World Central Kitchen.
The Art Auction for Ukraine showcase will continue to run until Sunday, August 14th providing access to the work of Ukrainian artist, both local and living in Ukraine right now while fundraising for Razom and Nova Ukraine.
In New York:
On August 13th and 14th at 7:30PM, the Irondale Ensemble Project in Brooklyn will bring “Mom on Skype” to New York City audiences. In a bomb shelter in Lviv, Ukraine, a young soldier on duty, rehearses a play that he has directed about the separation and disconnection of children and parents. His cast is comprised of 9 children between the ages of 10 and 14 including his own daughter. Children who, overnight, have had to deal with the realities of missiles directed at them, bombs falling around them, and the fear that at any moment a family member or they themselves might die. Come see these incredible kids and support their trip to the US!
On Saturday, September 24th, 6AM-6PM, New York Cycle Club’s 28th Annual Escape New York Ride (ENY’22) will have an opportunity to fundraise for Razom. Use Code RAZOM2022 to save $20 on registration and donate $22 of the registration fee to Razom. Riders who raise $500 or more will win a free jersey! For further details, visit enynycc.org/causes.
In Illinois:
Join Chicago from August 10th-12th to break the Guinness World Record for the largest cereal box mosaic by building a Ukrainian flag at the iconic Grand Banking Hall of Wintrust Financial. Your donations to the Chicago Children United for Ukraine Cereal Box Mosaic Project, coupled with Kellog’s donation of 5,000 boxes of cereal, will allow us to raise money for Razom’s work and that of the Greater Chicago Food Depository.
In New Hampshire:
On Sunday, August 14th, 3-9PM, Bradford, NH is hosting a Stand With Ukraine Fundraiser at the Bradford Center Meetinghouse with all proceeds going to Razom. Join us for an afternoon of Ukrainian food and song, a local silent art auction, and music. Bring your picnic blankets and your own bowl, cup and cutlery to refuse waste.
In Minnesota:
On Sat, August 20th to Sun, August 21st, 10AM – 8PM SLAVIC EXPERIENCE is coming toBoom Island Park in Northeast Minneapolis. A welcoming space for people of Slavic heritage to commemorate, celebrate, and share the richness and diversity of Eastern European traditions and customs with the greater Twin Cities community.
In the UK:
On Wednesday, September 7th, 7-9PM the Young Professionals of the Danish-UK Association welcome Londoners to come and enjoy their end of summer concert at Box-Park Wembley. All proceeds from the evening will benefit Razom.
Thank you so much for reading this newsletter, for keeping up to date with Razom, and for your support of Ukraine. We’re so glad you’re with us.
On Saturday June 4th, we shipped and fulfilled our 1,000th order of supplies for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Territorial Defense units, and local hospitals in eastern Ukraine! That included coordination with thousands of people across Ukraine, and crossing hundreds of thousands of kilometers to get life-saving supplies in the right hands. Your donations, your connections, your spreading the word, your support made all of this possible. We can’t thank you enough, and we humbly continue to ask for your support.
Dear Razom community,
Thank you to all of those who’ve responded to our call to spotlight the 100 stories for 100 days of war (and counting). We remain committed to sharing the stories of Ukrainians and the people and communities supporting Ukrainians, so keep them coming. In the meantime, here’s Razom’s story:
As part of the “Let’s start our hears together” campaign launched in Lviv last week, 68 AEDs valued at $81,192 are being installed across Ukraine. 33 defibrillators already made it to medical units and field hospitals on the front.
Razom’s ever-resourceful TacMed team has managed to procure 1,000 iTClamps, an innovative blood stopping tool invented by a Canadian military doctor, that are already on their way and highly anticipated by combat doctors in Ukraine. Procuring and delivering quality tactical medicine supplies is the difference between life and death in extreme, emergency situations.
Razom helped deliver 65 Starlinks to Kharkiv, Luhansk, and Donestk regions so far. These devices allow our defenders and emergency responders to coordinate and communicate more reliably, and from time to time call their mothers.
In partnership with Smart Medical Aid, Razom helped procure, outfit, and deliver yet another ambulance to the front of the war. You should know that on the photo below one of the medics pictured is a doctor from New Zealand who was inspired to help how she could after the invasion.
Razom partnered with the Ukraine Prosthetic Assistance Project to develop and disseminate a brochure that answers questionsabout available prostheticsand rehabilitation in Ukraine, as well as recommendations for victims and specialists. It’s estimated that hundreds of civilians and military personnel in Ukraine have suffered limb loss since the invasion. We are proud to provide logistical support in the delivery of cutting-edge tech prosthetic components donated by Ossur in partnership with Prosthetika that will help over a dozen people who’ve lost limbs in Ukraine.
Razom’s Hospitals Team secured a shipment of 8,000 IFAKs for Ukraine by partnering with Direct Relief who donated these supplies, with more to still to come!
Thanks to Integra Foundation’s donation of 2 pallets-worth of wound care, neurosurgery, neurotrauma, and neuromonitoring supplies, Razom was able to successfully distribute much needed medical equipment across different hospitals in Ukraine (ranging from military to children’s).
The long-awaited 27-pallets of medical supplies donated by our partner MedShare finally made it to Razom in Ukraine! Thanks to MedShare’s partner Airlink, a rapid-response humanitarian relief organization that connects airlines and pre-qualified nonprofits to help communities in crisis, the entire logistics leg from California to Lviv was free.
This week, Razom Board Member Maryna Prykhodko was in her hometown of Kharkiv, Ukraine and joined one of Razom’s grant recipients, Ukrainian Charity Alliance, on a trip to deliver humanitarian aid to elderly and disabled persons living just 10 km from the border with russia in the community around the town of Zolochiv and the surrounding smaller villages who were under russian occupation for three months. The community is in great need of assistance, especially the vulnerable populations.
Maryna helped hand-deliver bags of produce and goods along with Oleksii Kurtsev of Ukrainian Charity Alliance and a social worker and deputy of the community’s office. The group also visited the Zolochiv Hospital, which is under fire every day, and the Skovoroda Museum in nearby Skovorodynivka, which was destroyed by russian rocket fire. Everyone Maryna met and spoke with was so grateful for Razom’s support and Razom is so grateful for the devoted and committed work of our grant recipients who are making a positive impact on the ground in Ukraine.
A piece of good news – Razom and the Dity My Vsygnemo (“Children We Will Make It”) social movement for children with SMA (and Razom partner) conducted their first “reverse” evacuation since the start of the war. We helped a wonderful Ukrainian family, who was evacuated a few months ago, return home from abroad to Zhytomyr. This means that Ukrainians know that our victory is not far away.
Below is a roundup of events (concerts, film screenings, gallery shows, and other fun community gatherings) we most recommend you check out. Engage with brilliant voices from Ukraine and find exciting ways to support fundraising efforts. We extend our gratitude to the communities in nearly every corner of the U.S. organizing to support Ukraine in the ways they’re able.
In New York:
On Friday, June 10 and Saturday, June 11 at 7pm at the Ukrainian Museum, Director and Producer Andrea Odezynska debuts her new feature-length environmental documentary, Return Sasyk to the Sea, which spotlights the destructive legacy Ukraine inherited as a former member of the Soviet Union. 6/10 tickets here and 6/11 here (all proceeds go to Razom).
Marci Shore, a scholar of intellectual history and a Guggenheim Fellow, will moderate the Q&A after the screening on Friday 6/10.
Starting Friday, June 10 at 6pm the online virtual screening of feature documentary “A RISING FURY” about the war in Ukraine is set for a World Premiere with the Tribeca Film Festival. The team has been filming over the past 8 years from the peaceful protest in Kyiv in 2013 to the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Until June 23rd, Gallery Arte Azulejoin partnership with Mila Rabij Arts Consulting to presentYana Bystrova: Approaching a Chaotic Reality. Currently based in Paris, Bystrova is from Kyiv and is a third generation artist in her family. Her work has evolved from figurative to abstract and hybrid forms of expression, with a strong conceptual emphasis on color, the ambiguity of perception, and interpretation.
In New Jersey: On Friday, June 10 at 7pm come experience Ukrainian art with Razom featuring music and art for sale.
In Wisconsin: On Sunday, June 12 at 3pm the Olympia Brown UU Church in Racine will host a concert with music, dance, and stories to benefit Ukraine.
In Virginia: On June 24from 6-19pm the Beach Gallery in Virginia Beach is hostinga Hope for Ukraine Art Show & Silent Auction with all proceeds going to either Razom or the World Central Kitchen.
In Ohio:
On Saturday, June 25 at 7pmthe Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus of North America will perform “Amplify The Voice: A Benefit Concert For Ukraine” at the Cleveland Orchestra with ticket proceeds benefiting Razom.
In Pennsylvania: On Sunday, June 26 from 6:30-8pm the Pittsburgh Ukrainian community is hosting a concert at Carnegie Carnegie Music Hall to raise funds for humanitarian aid for Ukraine (including Razom’s work).
Thank you so much for reading this newsletter, for keeping up to date with Razom, and for your support of Ukraine. We’re so glad to be on this journey together.
In over a month of victory and loss in Ukraine, Razom volunteers have worked tirelessly to find the most effective ways to deliver humanitarian aid that is most urgently needed to save lives. To build a more prosperous, free, democratic Ukraine, we need to stop the bleeding. Tactical medicine and tactical medical supplies are just one side of the equation – they help save lives in the field and in extreme situations. However, given the strain on the healthcare system in Ukraine due to the war and the covid pandemic, delivering basic medicines, medical devices, and hospital supplies have the power to impact lives off the field.
Razom Health Team has built relationships with large nonprofit organizations and agencies that aggregate hospital supplies, with global health and major disaster relief organizations, and with several hospitals, to collect in-kind donations. The partnerships with these giant donation entities allow Razom to maintain steady activity in shipping and distributing hospital medicines and supplies to people in many regions across Ukraine who need it most. Those partners include:
Patients of Ukraine (Пацієнти України) and Zdorovi are our partners on the ground helping to distribute the aid in the hands of the right end user. Through them, we have access to five warehouses across three different cities in Ukraine to be able to reliably distribute aid to hospitals in need.
Below is an overview of the $1.5M+ in estimated value of in-kind donations made to Razom, facilitated by our Razom Health Team:
Razom shipped 26 pallets of medical supplies via Partners For World Health in-kind donation.
Razom shipped 1 sea container of medical supplies via MedShare in-kind donation.
Razom delivered three shipments of medications via Americares in-kind donation totaling 8 pallets.
Razom shipped 21 pallets of new hospital scrubs to military hospitals in Ukraine to boost morale of the overworked medical professionals via FIGS in-kind donation.
We’ve also coordinated in-kind donations from hospitals and individual medical professionals that have collectively included:
8 pallets of medical hospital supplies from UMass Memorial Medical Center
1 wound vac and 5 boxes of surgical / central line catheters from private donations
6 boxes of surgical supplies from Rhode Island Doctors donated to our tactical medicine efforts
Our donors have purchased 6,850 items off of our Amazon Wishlist, valuing over $180,000 of in-kind donations. There are still 9,543 items remaining on that list, including the most urgently needed humanitarian and medical supplies that we’re delivering to Ukraine. Go here to make an in-kind donation to Razom.
Help Heroes of Ukraine, a charity organization based out of Chicago has been a major transportation partner for us, volunteering to deliver many pallets of aid on our behalf to our Meest warehouse in New Jersey.
The magnificent Razom Hospitals Team in action
A special partnership thus far has been with MedGlobal, a humanitarian and health NGO working to serve vulnerable communities around the world by providing innovative, free, and sustainable healthcare. Together with the Ministry of Health in Ukraine, MedGlobal and Razom conducted the first of several successful medical missions bringing a team of 7 trauma surgeons to provide over 40 hours of trainings for an estimated total of 350 Ukrainian physicians in Lviv, Ukraine on poly trauma surgical procedures/ diagnostics/ surgeries, on operating portable butterfly ultrasounds (donated by MedGlobal), and educating doctors on how to prepare and act in case of chemical warfare. These volunteering doctors were coming from Newark, NJ, Chicago, IL, Nashville, TN, and two from Paris, France.
The MedGlobal group also brought along with them 37 suitcases of medical supplies (over two missions) and 14 portable butterfly ultrasounds, estimating $700,000 in value, to hospitals across Ukraine post-training. The butterfly ultrasounds are especially powerful in democratizing access to medical imaging in resource constrained zones. A total of 10,000 patients may benefit from just one of these missions!
Razom also helped facilitate MedGlobal’s meeting with over 50 medical students in Danylo Halytsky Lviv National Medical University and over a dozen medical leaders and heads of hospitals in Lviv.
We are so grateful to be building long-term relationships with these organizations as they are key to Razom being able to respond quickly and at scale to the needs in Ukraine. There’s good reason we named ourselves Razom, which means “together” in Ukrainian.
Dr. Zaher Sahloul of MedGlobal visiting med school students in LvivVolunteer Iryna Kit loading up your Amazon Wishlist donations (with a little furry helper) to transfer to our NJ warehouseAmazon Wishlist donations packed & sorted at the warehouse
Below you’ll find updates from Razom Health team, a volunteer fundraising impact story grown out of WI, and a list of the latest events across the country for you to go and support Ukraine.
Dear Razom community,
The sorting and packing in our New Jersey warehouse doesn’t stop and that’s thanks to all of your (and our partners’) donations and our teams’ procurements that continue to pour in. Each of the steps you take, big or small, are a part of a chain of support that makes a difference in Ukraine. Today we want to shine a light on two different teams at Razom – the hospitals team and the US migrant task force team.
Razom Health team (hospitals@razomforukraine.org) is a segment of our Emergency Response project that coordinates and partners with global health and major disaster relief organizations to collect in-kind donations of hospital supplies and medicines for Ukraine. Those partners include MedShare, PartnersforWorldHealth, Americares, and Afya Foundation. Thanks to our on the ground partners Zdorovi and Patients of Ukraine (Пацієнти України), we have access to five warehouses across 3 different cities in Ukraine to be able to reliably distribute aid to hospitals in need. Here’s what they’ve accomplished so far:
MedGlobal x Razom x UMANA x Ministry of Health in Ukraine are partnering to facilitate the first of several week-long medical missions by bringing a team of 10 trauma surgeons to Lviv, traveling with 160 suitcases of medical supplies and portable butterfly ultrasounds. They will provide trainings for Ukrainian doctors on poly trauma surgical procedures/diagnostics/surgeries, on operating portable butterfly ultrasounds (donated by MedGlobal), and educating doctors on how to prepare (and act) in case of chemical warfare.
PartnersforWorldHealth has sent over 26 pallets of medical supplies to Razom, 7 of which we shipped by air and the rest by sea (based on priority of needs in Ukraine).
MedShare is finalizing its first sea container of medical supplies to go to Ukraine next week, and has invited Razom to its 10th Annual Share the Good Gala on April 4th to raise funds for humanitarian aid efforts in Ukraine.
Americares is sending its 3rd large shipment of urgent medications next week via Razom for our partner in Ukraine Patients of Ukraine (Пацієнти України).
We’ve also coordinated and received in-kind donations from hospitals and individual medical works that have collectively included:
8 pallets of medical hospital supplies from UMass Memorial Medical Center
1 woundvac and 5 boxes of surgical / central line catheters from private donations
6 boxes of surgical supplies from Rhode Island Doctors donated to our tactical medicine efforts
FIGS donated 21 pallets of new hospital scrubs to military hospitals in Ukraine to boost morale of the overworked medical professionals.
Help Heroes of Ukraine has been a major transportation partner for us, volunteering to deliver many pallets of aid on our behalf to our Meest warehouse in New Jersey.
We are so grateful to be building long-term relationships with these organizations as they are key to Razom being able to respond quickly and at scale to needs in Ukraine. There’s good reason we named ourselves Razom, which means “together” in Ukrainian #RazomAccelerates.
Thanks to the work of the Door County Candle Company, there’s now a little bit of Ukraine lighting up homes in all 50 states in the U.S., including Puerto Rico. Second generation Ukrainian-American, Christiana Gorchynsky Trapani, channeled her feelings of helplessness over what’s happening in Ukraine by putting her talents and resources to good use, and inspiring her community to do the same. This artisan candle shop located in Sturgeon Bay, WI in Northern Wisconsin’s Door County Peninsula, has raised over $300,000 (and counting) for Razom’s Emergency Response by selling over 40,000 “Ukraine” candles. That’s double the amount they’d usually sell in a year!
To be able to get this done, Christiana got her father, an ER doctor helping when he’s not on shift, her Door County community of volunteers, and even the previous owner of the shop, who came out of retirement to help streamline the process. People drive up from hours away to be a part of the volunteer effort pouring and preparing candles or making lunches and coffee for the team. Even Christiana’s 82 year-old grandmother, who immigrated to the U.S. from Ukraine as a child during World War II, is helping to sticker the packages.
Everyday people from all walks of life, professions, creeds, ethnicities, and worldviews unite to do one thing to help Ukraine, and it’s so beautiful. You don’t have to do everything, but you can do something, and together, that can be extraordinary.
Finally, here’s a list of events we’d like to bring to your attention and encourage you to support:
On Saturday, April 2nd theUkrainian Bandura Chorus Concert of North America will be performing a Save the Ukrainian Voice Charitable Concert in Michigan with all proceeds benefiting Razom.
On Saturday, April 2ndrefnight.com (who goes to a hockey game every year to cheer for the referees and raise money for charity) has chosen Razom for an evening at a New Jersey Devils hockey game.
All the proceeds from a Charity Gala Event on Sunday, April 3rd at the Oceana Theater in Brooklyn will be going to Razom’s Emergency Response project. The event will be performance-based, with the acts varying from music (performances from KAZKA and Alyosha amongst others), children’s choir and dance, speeches, and video blocks (feat. Okean Elzy, Jamala, and Max Barskih).
NYC Moms For A Cause will be hosting a Cocktail Reception to Benefit Ukrainian Families on April 12th, 6:30-9:00pm at the Ukrainian Institute of America. The evening will include live performances, a silent auction, and heavy canapés and flowing drinks, all in support of Razom’s Emergency Response.
April 30th from 3:30-7:30pm theHudson Valley Relief Benefit will feature guest speakers, music, food, and a silent auction. Get you tickets and join Novellas Restaurant in New Paltz, NY to support Razom’s Emergency Response project!
As always, thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter and continue to #StandWithUkraine.
Kryla Nadiyi (which means “Wings of Hope” in Ukrainian) are our partners on the ground in western Ukraine warehousing, sorting, and distributing our humanitarian aid to various hot spots across the country. They are one of the top charities in Ukraine doing this type of work since 2013.
The first shipments of tactical medicine (purchased & shipped on day two of the war) are now arriving to civilian territorial defenses in Kyiv and Zhytomyr oblasts in Ukraine. We are enormously grateful for this brave and trusted group of volunteers who are ensuring its safe arrival. Tacmed supplies continue to be one of the most urgent forms of aid needed to get into the hands of Ukrainians.
We have streamlined our operations with Meest America Inc., and right now, 38 tons more of tactical medical and hospital supplies are making their way to Ukraine via Poland.
Finally, since the start of the war, we’ve spent over $1.5M procuring this humanitarian aid and covering logistical costs.
Last, but most certainly not least, we ask you to consider making a contribution to the following efforts:
Our Razom’s Emergency Response Project works to deliver only the most urgent humanitarian aid in war torn parts of Ukraine, which includes tactical medical supplies, hospital needs, and supplies that enable the safe and efficient distribution of that aid (like med tactical backpacks, GPS devices, satellite phones, and drones).
UACC’s fundraiser to export helmets and armory vests to Ukraine and get them in the hands of territorial defense units across key parts of the country is still ongoing.
With the heavy flow of supplies going daily across the ocean to Ukraine, it was only a matter of time until Razom’s partnership with Meest America, Inc. shipping company would require additional support. We are raising money to ensure that thedonations you’ve delivered to Meest, that go beyond tacmed and medical supplies (many of you have been doing epic Costco runs!), get shipped across the ocean to Ukraine efficiently.
In 2021 we continued our work in Ukraine with the Co-Pilot Project with one formal trip (led by Mariya Soroka and Luke Tomycz) during which we performed several epilepsy and brain tumor surgeries with surgical partners in both Kyiv and Lutsk. A highlight of this trip was an anatomic hemispherectomy – the first to our knowledge ever performed in Ukraine – on a little girl in Lutsk who had a recurrence of her seizures, but again is seizure free and doing very well after this repeat surgery. We also traveled to Uzhgorod where we had a busy day of consultation with the local epilepsy team on various complex epilepsy patients who came from all around the country.
Unfortunately, because of the COVID pandemic, trips by both Dr. Matthew Geck (from Austin, Texas) to perform scoliosis surgery and Dr. James Liu (from Newark , NJ) to perform skull base surgery were canceled this year. But we hope to reschedule both of these trips as restrictions loosen. Furthermore, several of the Ukrainian surgeons who were slated to visit Dr. Forbes in Cincinnati have had their fellowships delayed.
Thanks to connections made by Dr. Vitalii and Yulia Shama and Oleksa Martinouk, we were able to speak with two new surgical partners in Europe, Drs. Schmitz in Germany and Dr. Rocka in Lithuania, both of whom are interested in training Ukrainian residents and setting up an international fellowship/observership in coordination with our team.
Finally, with the help of Maria Borisovska PhD, we were able to locate and purchase an EEG amplifier and this was transported to Dr. Kostiuk, the chief of epilepsy surgery at Romadanov Institute. He has already used this for intraoperative electrocorticography and we hope to assist them in their first extra-operative mapping case. This technology should substantially improve this center’s capabilities to offer surgery to a wider number of patients with drug-resistant, refractory epilepsy.
We hope during the next trip which is planned for April/May of 2022 we will reach and surpass an exciting milestone: the 100th major neurosurgical operation conducted by our team in Ukraine in cooperation with our partner surgeons! We hope to plan an annual dinner and fundraising event in 2022 following this trip.
Our second fundraiser in support of Ukrainian hospitals fighting COVID-19 is going strong. As yet another spike in new cases has swamped the country, medical institutions and non-profit organizations from all over Ukraine are in search of life-saving oxygen for patients who cannot do without air support. Your recent donations helped purchasing the three more oxygen concentrators that were delivered to clinics and hospital in three different oblasts, all specifically focused on treating the coronavirus patients.
Thus, one concentrator was delivered to the Vorokhta outpatient clinic (Ivano-Frankivsk region), one more to the Shiryaiv CDH (Odessa region), and another one to the Bilokorovytsia outpatient clinic (Zhytomyr region).
We thank everyone for your support, generous donations and information sharing! We are also thankful for the outstanding cooperation with the non-profit Patients of Ukraine (Patsienty Ukrainy), who have been working hard to find, purchase and deliver the much-needed medical equipment to various Ukrainian cities, towns and villages!
Razom volunteers and supporters stand with courageous Ukrainian doctors, outpatient and health departments’ staff. We are deeply grateful for your tireless work! You are not alone. We are – razom – together!
We are thrilled to share with you that our Co-Pilot Project which aims to raise the bar of neurosurgery training in Ukraine has been described and published as a learning case in the scientific journal Science Direct.
“About 5 years ago, I first travelled to Ukraine to meet and operate with neurosurgery colleagues in Kyiv. – writes Dr. Luke Tomycz, the leading neurosurgeon of the Co-Pilot Project team – Since then, our team of surgeons from the United States have assisted colleagues in Ukraine with over 80 major operations on the brain and spine, in addition to consulting on countless hundreds more. I want to thank my friends from the U.S. who have taken time away from family and work to travel to Ukraine, colleagues in Ukraine who inspire us with their resilience and ingenuity, members of our administrative “Co-Pilot” team who meet monthly to work on this project, and members of Razom and the greater Ukrainian community who have supported and donated to this work. We are humbled by your continued support as we look to build epilepsy surgery capabilities at several centers around Ukraine.”
You can find the article available online and for free here.
Earlier, in Fall 2019, the CPP program was also presented at the Princeton University. Read more about the presentation here.
Learn more about the Co-Pilot Project and support neurosurgery training in Ukraine here.
Two oxygen concentrators have been delivered to two hospitals in Zhytomyr oblast in Ukraine, as reported by the Support Hospitals in Ukraine – Підтримка Лікарень України initiative. This support became possible due to the collaborative emergency fundraising efforts of Razom.
You can mail a check to 140 2nd. Ave., Suite 305, New York, NY, 10003
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Oblast Competitions
In 2018 we’re planning to cover expenses for 30 teams (6 people per team) at Oblast STEM competitions. Total Budget is $4500
Ruslan Batytskyi
Director, writer and cinematographer with three completed award-winning shorts as well as a feature documentary in post-production. After starting his filmmaker career at 2009, Ruslan brings his skills in project management, process analysis and systems models (received during obtaining MA in cybernetics 2003-2008) and applies them to the creative thinking and artistic thought-processes of film. He also holds BA in Film and Television directing (from the Kyiv National University of theatre, cinema and television by Karpenko-Karyi).
“A chance to participate in The Co-Pilot project it’s an amazing opportunity to help others and to tell the story that will engage and inspire people around the world”
2017 Trip Itinerary
We are gearing up for our 2017 Mission trip. It’ll be a 3-month adventure during which we plan to work with neurosurgeons from several centers from all around the country. Dr.Tomycz has also been invited to deliver an address at the annual Ukrainian Neurosurgery Conference 2017 in Kharkiv.
May 20: arrive in Kyiv, Ukraine
May 22-26: meet with area surgeons at participating centers
May 29- June 9: two week master class with Igor Kurilets MD at the International Neurosurgery Center
June 12-13: Visit to Medical Institute of Sumy State University
June 14-16: Ukrainian Neurosurgery Conference 2017 in Kharkiv
June 19-23: one week course and master class operating in complex spine and craniocervical with Ukrainian spinal surgeons and trainees from Romadanov Institute and International Neurosurgery Center
June 24-July 7: Come back to United States for two weeks
July 10-21: two week master class with Dr. Schlegov at the Neurovascular Institute
July 24-August 4: two week master class in pediatric neurosurgery with surgeons at Lviv Children’s Hospital
August 5-18: travel to out-lying centers of excellence (Stryii, Ivano-Frankivsk, Odesa)
August 21-31: operate with surgeons at Central Military Hospital and International Neurosurgery Center in Kyiv
September 15: leave Ukraine for United States
Surgical Mentors and Medical Support Staff
The best way to train surgeons is by providing hands-on mentorship and assistance in the operating room. One of the primary goals of the Co-Pilot Project is the continued recruitment of high quality surgeons from United States and Canada to spend time with Ukrainian counterparts, consulting on patients and performing procedures.
Surgical Mentors traveling to Ukraine
Jefferson Miley, MD – neurointerventionalist
Jonathan Forbes, MD – skull base neurosurgeon
Matthew Geck, MD – orthopedic spine surgeon
Not all of the healthcare volunteers will be able to travel to Ukraine but they still will play an important role from home. Utilizing contemporary technology, including live streaming of surgeries and communication via social media the medical support staff will advice and mentor Ukrainian neurosurgeons as they confront difficult cases.
Medical Support Staff
Bido Patel, MD – neuroradiologist
Chandra Krishnan, MD – neuropathologist
Ginger Harrod, MD – neuro-oncologist
Advisory Staff
Tim George, MD – pediatric neurosurgeon
Jim Rose, MD – vascular neurosurgeon
Ryan Murdoch, MD – orthopedic spine surgeon
Patrick Combs, MD – craniofacial surgeon
Nestor Tomycz, MD – functional neurosurgeon
Aaron Stayman, MD – vascular neurologist
Jim Rutka – pediatric neurosurgeon
Ben Warf – pediatric neurosurgeon
Participating Centers in Ukraine Page
Since our exploratory trip in 2016 we have identified a cohort of motivated and talented surgeons who are hungry for additional instruction and eager for collaboration.
Igor Kurilets, MD (International Neurosurgery Center)
Ivan Protsenko, MD (Romadanov Institute)
Kostiantyn Kostiuk, MD (Romadanov Institute)
Vitali Ganjuk, MD (Central Military Hospital, Kyiv)
Taras Mykytyn, MD (Lviv Children’s Hospital)
Dmytro Shcheglov, MD (Neurovascular Institute)
Luke Tomycz, MD
Dr. Luke Tomycz is the newest addition to the pediatric neurosurgical team at Dell Children’s Medical Center. Dr. Tomycz finished first in his high school class of over 200 students and attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, MA where he double-majored in biology and chemical engineering. He accepted the prestigious Dean’s Full-Tuition Scholarship to attend medical school at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor where he first developed an interest in neurosurgery. After medical school, he began his formal neurosurgical training at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN where he trained under the late Noel Tulipan, MD, a pioneer in fetal neurosurgery for myelomeningocele. During his seven-year residency, he spent two years obtaining an in-folded fellowship in endovascular surgery, becoming proficient in the treatment of aneurysms, AVMs, Moya-Moya syndrome, and complex dural AV fistulae of adults and children. After this, Dr. Tomycz spent an additional year at Seattle Children’s Hospital performing a large volume of complex epilepsy surgery with Jeff Ojemann, MD. Following an exhaustive job search, Dr.Tomycz was attracted to Austin as the city was in the process of launching a new medical school at the University of Texas.
Dr. Tomycz specializes in all aspects of pediatric neurosurgery including brain tumors, epilepsy, Chiari malformation, tethered cord syndrome, CSF shunting, and intracranial endoscopy. As one of the only dual-trained, pediatric and endovascular neurosurgeons in the country, he is particularly interested in Moya-Moya, brain aneurysms and AVMs, arteriovenous fistulae, and other complex neurovascular disorders in children as well as adults. His research interests include the use of engineering innovations to improve treatments for hydrocephalus and he has published on a wide variety of neurosurgical topics. Outside the operating room, Dr. Tomycz enjoys playing guitar and hiking in the mountains. He has travelled extensively to perform neurosurgery and take part in short-term medical mission work – in Cuba, Kenya, Honduras, Ecuador, and Ukraine.
Dr. Tomycz grew up with four grandparents who told stories of their youth and taught their grandchildren the language of their homeland – Ukraine. His parents were both born in refugee camps following the second world war, and came to this country in the early 1950s with virtually nothing. His father excelled in academics and went into medicine, and both Luke and his brother Nestor followed suit, pursuing a career in neurosurgery. During a long period of study and training that lasted more than 15 years, Luke resolved to return to the homeland of his grandparents and provide the kind of high quality care that children receive in the United States.
Mariya Soroka
In 2014 at the peak of protests in the Maidan, Mariya joined several fellow Ukrainians living in New York City to create Razom, a young, energetic, and progressive start-up which seeks to amplify the voice of Ukraine to an American audience. An active member of the board, she is responsible for organizing cultural events as well as cooperating with government representatives, activists, and various civic groups and human rights organizations in support of Ukraine’s quest for democracy.
CPP info
Mariya is also heavily involved with fundraising for Razom’s projects via crowdsourcing, charity events, and online petitions. After graduating from Penn State University with a BA in Advertising and Public Relations and a dual minor in Entrepreneurship and International Studies, Mariya spent over 5 years in Manhattan working within the content marketing industry. She believes in the enormous potential of dedicated volunteers around the world working to rebuild Ukraine one project at a time.
Mariana Magala
Mariana Magala was born in Lviv, Ukraine. She graduated from The University of Chicago in 2013 and holds a B.A. in Economics and Slavic Languages and Literature. Currently, Mariana is a Strategic Analytics Manager at Interline Brands (subsidiary of The Home Depot) in Jacksonville, Florida. She specializes in analytics, business strategy, and nonprofit development. Mariana was the co-chair of a pro-bono consulting group for nonprofits in Chicago for 3 years and is currently the treasurer for a young professionals group at MOSH (Museum of Science and History in Jacksonville).
Mariana joined Razom’s Neurosurgical initiative in 2016. She is very excited to collaborate with the team and develop the initiative into a highly successful program.
