30 Surgeries in 4 Days: Ivano-Frankivsk Welcomes Canadian and American Surgeons’ ‘Face the Future’ Mission

Published: October 27, 2023   

For the second time, Ukraine played host to the ‘Face the Future Ukraine’ mission, a collaborative effort involving Canadian and American reconstructive surgeons. This initiative brought global experts together with their Ukrainian colleagues to perform over 30 life-changing plastic surgeries on individuals who bore the scars of war. Among the patients were military personnel from various regions of Ukraine, all sharing a common experience of severe blast injuries to the face and neck.

Meet Andrii Smolenskyi, a 27-year-old who, after volunteering for the front lines at the onset of the war, eventually became the commander of a separate aerial reconnaissance unit. In late May 2023, during one of the missions, he suffered a grievous injury. Andrii lost both arms, his eyes, and partially his hearing.

Andrii Smolenskyi

Andrii has undergone nearly two dozen surgeries, and thanks to the heroic efforts of Ukrainian doctors, his life was miraculously saved. However, a significant scar painfully contracted his face. Surgeons from the ‘Face the Future’ mission took on the task of relieving his pain and enhancing the aesthetics of his face. In a complex, 6-hour surgery, they removed deformed tissue, placed a titanium implant under the eye, transplanted fat tissue and skin from his neck, and prepared his eye for cosmetic implants.

Dr. Peter Adamson, Founder and President of the Face the Future Foundation, described this as an exceptionally challenging case due to the patient’s multiple combined injuries, with most of the facial bones and muscles missing after the injury. He noted that this mission in Ukraine presented the most severe combined cases in their experience and expressed their commitment to returning every six months to assist Ukrainian defenders and train local colleagues.

Dr. Peter A. Adamson, MD (Canada) and Nataliya Komashko, MD ( UA)

To perform these unique surgeries, a team of 15 international specialists, including reconstructive surgeons, oculoplastic surgeons, plastic surgeons, otolaryngologists, surgical oncologists, anesthesiologists, and nurses, arrived in Ukraine. They worked alongside and shared their expertise with Ukrainian specialists from Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv, and Zaporizhzhia.

The preparation for this mission spanned five months, involving extensive online consultations for patient selection and surgical planning. For many patients, free individual implants were designed and 3D-printed by bioengineers from Materialize to restore the integrity of bones that were fragmented due to injury, said Nataliia Komashko, MD,  Head of Ukrainian Association of  Endoscopic Head  and Neck Surgeries, who led the clinical program from Ukrainian side. 

Dr. Nataliya Komashko (UA) (on the left)

This successful partnership between ‘Face the Future Foundation,’ ‘Razom for Ukraine,’ and ‘Still Strong’ has evolved into a long-term program, demonstrating remarkable results in training and supporting Ukrainian doctors in their professional development. It signifies an extraordinary achievement and outcome that will help Ukrainian doctors contribute to global medicine.

Dr. Cho, Dr. Kesarwani and Dr. Trites with a patient

During the two ‘Face the Future Ukraine’ missions, the team of experts successfully restored physical health and aesthetic beauty for over 70 Ukrainians. Importantly, all reconstructive surgeries were provided free of charge to the patients.

These missions also hosted international symposia for surgeons and nurses, allowing specialists from Canada, the U.S., and Ukraine to share their experiences in performing complex reconstructive interventions and the nuances of managing patients with combat injuries. More than 200 surgeons and nearly 300 nurses participated in the symposia.

Lileia Dzaliuk, Co-Pilot Coordinator in Ukraine

The Razom Co-Pilot Project has been facilitating the organization of highly qualified doctors’ visits to Ukraine since 2016. With the outbreak of war, medical organizations and teams from the U.S. and Canada approached Razom for support in helping Ukraine. Currently, the Razom Co-Pilot Project provides organizational and financial support to the largest teams in the U.S. and Canada, including ‘Face the Future,’ ‘Face to Face,’ ‘Global Leap Missions,’ and ‘Co-Pilot Neuro.’ Over 100 North American doctors have worked in Ukraine, performing 300 complex surgeries this year alone.

“We understand that it is impossible to help all patients during the short stay of the international team. Therefore, one of the leading goals of Co-Pilot is to train Ukrainian doctors and help them become leaders in their field and save thousands. Each international team conducts educational events: conferences, lectures and consults Ukrainian doctors online. Razom  supports the observership for Ukrainian doctors in the U.S.. Only this year, 10 UA doctors had such an opportunity”, said Yuliia Shama, U.S. Co-Pilot Project Lead.

We are immensely grateful to the team of Face the Future Ukraine:

Surgeons Team Peter A. Adamson, Nataliya Biskup, Matthew Brace, Raymond Cho, Jonathan Trites, Priya Kesarwani, Paul Slavchenko

OR Team Jackie Abbott, Bibi Yasin, Janae Weber, Emma Piehl, Khristie Morrell, Luci Heiman, Hanna Robinson 

Gail Kapsambelis (videographer)

Advisors Mark Levin, Anthony Brissett, Burke Bradley, Debbie Fritz, Maureen Merchant 

The ‘Face the Future Ukraine’ humanitarian program is a joint effort involving organizations such as Face The Future Foundation (Canada), Razom for Ukraine (USA), Still Strong (UA).

We are immensely grateful to all partners and donors:

CF Patients of Ukraine, and the project “Rehabilitation of War Injuries.” organized academic days.  The mission received support from Direct Relief, Materialize, STORZ Karl-Storz Ukraine, the Ukrainian Association of Endoscopic Head and Neck Surgery, the Regional Clinical Hospital of the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Council, Metinvest, Yellow Blue Force Foundation, the Embassy of Switzerland in Ukraine, Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Military Administration, Transmed, CF «Чисті Серця», and Razom.

 

Photographer: Andrii Sidletskyi 

 

Learn more about and support the Co-Pilot Project and Razom Health.

 

Razom Health’s Co-Pilot Project Empowers Thousands of Ukrainian Doctors

Published: October 18, 2023   

In the latest chapter of Co-Pilot NEURO’s longtime work, Ukrainian and American specialists continue to evolve the neurosurgery sector in Ukraine. 

Since 2016, Razom’s Co-Pilot project has been transforming the field of neurosurgery in Ukraine. The initiative employs a tried and true “train the trainer” model, providing experiential education to top-tier professionals and sharing global medical expertise to be shared further with Ukrainian colleagues and students.

Within this vast portfolio of education and training, two endovascular neurosurgeons from New York University (NYU) Langone Health and Bellevue HHC, Dr. Maksim Shapiro and Dr. Peter Kim Nelson, ventured to Ukraine recently, aiming to provide cutting-edge surgical care. 

During their intensives across three key neurosurgery centers, a total of 21 surgeries were performed. Many of these procedures were broadcast in real-time, facilitating knowledge sharing among Ukrainian neurosurgeons.

The educational component was also a pivotal aspect of their trip. An international endovascular online conference, BANANAZ, featured lectures by experts like by Dr. Yuriy Cherednichenko, MD, PHD on the management of traumatic war injuries. Over 80 neurosurgeons benefited from these educational activities, including those attending the Annual Ukrainian Neurosurgical Association conference. 

In addition to their expertise, Dr. Shapiro and Dr. Nelson also brought invaluable medical equipment and supplies worth over $1.2 million.

Looking ahead, they plan to create an observership at NYU for Ukrainian endovascular neurosurgeons. The next mission, set for Spring 2024, will focus on Dnipro, Lviv, and Kyiv, with a strong emphasis on live surgeries and educational outreach.

The work of the Co-Pilot NEURO program showcases not only the progress in neurosurgery but also the unwavering commitment of the American and Ukrainian medical communities to support the development of Ukraine’s healthcare system.  

The partnership is a beacon of hope for the future of neurosurgery in Ukraine. Thank you to all participants for their unwavering support in making this mission a success!

Razom Co-Pilot Project’s medical missions/medical training in Ukraine) was started  with the idea to bring the best neurosurgery practices to Ukraine and form a new generation of neurosurgery leaders among Ukrainian doctors. This program has since successfully expanded to more specialties:

  • “Face to Face Ukraine” programs together with the American Academy of Facial Plastic Reconstructive Surgeons and INgenious providing  reconstructive facial surgery with orthopedic and speech therapy components.
  • “Face the Future Ukraine” program with Face the Future Foundation (Canada) and Still Strong (Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Hospital) performing reconstructive facial surgeries, academic days for surgeons and nurses.
  • “Leap Global Mission Ukraine” focusing mostly on  facial reconstructive surgeries for children.
  • The Co-Pilot NEURO Program withs four subspecialties: endovascular neurosurgery, epilepsy surgical treatments, spinal neurosurgery, and open neurosurgery.
  • The Co-Pilot Ortho Program (Kyiv, Dnipro hospitals).

Results of the program’s work from 2016 to 2023: 

  • Over 100 doctors and medical personnel visited Ukraine. 
  • More than 245 complex surgeries were performed. 
  • Over 1500 patients were consulted. 
  • Over 120 Ukrainian surgeons participated in the missions and improved their qualifications. 
  • Over 2000 Ukrainian surgeons watched live streams of surgeries. 
  • More than 10 doctors underwent internships at U.S. universities. 
  • Nearly 20 Ukrainian hospitals were involved in the program.

Butterfly Network and Razom Expand Global Health Partnership To Bring Additional 200Butterfly iQ+ Ultrasound Systems to Ukraine

Published: October 5, 2023   

Nearly 900 Butterfly devices have been distributed throughout Ukraine via global health
partnerships, with Razom alone contributing more than 400 units.

BURLINGTON, MA, October 4, 2023 – Butterfly Network, Inc. a digital health company transforming care through the power of portable, semiconductor-based ultrasound technology and intuitive software, and Razom, a US-based nonprofit dedicated to supporting a democratic and prosperous Ukraine, today announced that they have expanded their global health partnership to bring an additional 200 Butterfly iQ+ devices to the frontlines of the war in Ukraine. Razom has now alone deployed over 400 Butterfly iQ+ devices to Ukraine, and has been a leader in driving Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) training and utilization in the country.

“We feel immensely grateful to strengthen our cooperation with Butterfly Network, working together to empower numerous Ukrainian healthcare providers with POCUS technology. The Butterfly iQ+ probe, renowned for its comprehensive whole-body assessment capabilities, is incredibly compact and lightweight, making it the perfect tool for medics and first responders to carry into the field. Moreover, it’s invaluable for performing routine prenatal and primary care services within survival shelters. This partnership symbolizes our commitment to enhancing healthcare accessibility and quality in Ukraine, even under the most challenging circumstances,” said Dan Solchanyk, Program Director, Razom Health.

“At Butterfly, improving access to ultrasound technology in austere, under-resourced or emergency settings is core to our mission. We are proud to work with partners like Razom who share our commitment to not only deploying technology, but driving adoption and usage of POCUS through education and training. Through these partnerships, our advanced imaging technology and ultrasound education materials reach the places that need it most worldwide,” said Joseph DeVivo, President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of Butterfly Network.   

Since February 2022 when Butterfly initiated its rapid response outreach to humanitarian and veterinary nonprofits responding in Ukraine, the company has deployed nearly 900 Butterfly devices into the country through over 40 global health partnerships.

To learn more about the impact of Butterfly’s cross-sector partnership for supporting the Ukrainian crisis, visit: read the case study here.

To inquire about global health partnership opportunities with Butterfly, visit:  https://www.butterflynetwork.com/global-health.

About Butterfly Network

Founded by Dr. Jonathan Rothberg in 2011 and listed on the New York Stock Exchange through a business combination with Longview Acquisition Corp., Butterfly created the world’s first handheld, single probe whole-body ultrasound system using semiconductor technology, the Butterfly iQ+. Butterfly’s mission is to democratize medical imaging and contribute to the aspiration of global health equity, making high-quality ultrasound affordable, easy-to-use, globally accessible, and intelligently connected, including for the 4.7 billion people around the world lacking access to ultrasound. Through its proprietary Ultrasound-on-Chip™ technology, Butterfly is paving the way for earlier detection and remote management of health conditions around the world. The Butterfly iQ+ can be purchased today by trained healthcare practitioners in areas including, but not limited to, parts of Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America; to learn more about available countries, visit: www.butterflynetwork.com/choose-your-country.

About Razom

Razom for Ukraine (Razom) was founded in 2014 and is one of the leading US-based nonprofits dedicated to the mission of supporting a democratic and prosperous Ukraine. With a robust international network of volunteers and partners, Razom, which means “together” in Ukrainian, provides humanitarian aid, and administers programs and services focused on health, advocacy, civil society and culture. Razom advances its mission by creating spaces where people meet, partner and do, while maintaining a relentless focus on the needs on the ground in Ukraine. Since the full-scale invasion in 2022, Razom for Ukraine has grown to include over 200,000 donors and volunteers. Website: www.razomforukraine.org

Butterfly Media

Liz Learned, Head of Corporate Communications

media@butterflynetwork.com

Butterfly Investors

Heather Getz, Chief Financial and Operations Officers

investors@butterflynetwork.com

Butterfly Global Health Inquiries

Sachita Shah, Sr. Director Global Health

sshah@butterflynetinc.com

Razom Inquiries

Xenia Ferencevych, Director of Development and Engagement

xenia@razomforukraine.org

Co-Pilot Project. Face to Face: The second mission of American facial plastic surgeons to Ukraine

Published: June 28, 2023   

The mission named “Face to Face” – is the humanitarian project created in cooperation with American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS), Razom for Ukraine (Co-Pilot Project) and the medical NGO INgenius. The main sponsors of the project are also Healing the Childrens Foundation and Materialise. 

The Face to Face mission of American facial reconstructive surgeons took place in a Lviv hospital on April 22-29. Nine doctors and eight nurses from the United States, along with their Ukrainian colleagues, performed free reconstructive and plastic surgeries on soldiers who had suffered face and neck injuries on the front line during russia’s war against Ukraine.

Great thanks to the team of 

Surgeons: Drs Manoj Abraham, John Frodel, Augustine Moscatello, Gregoriy Mashkevich, Bruce Moskowitz, Ryan Winters, Boris Chernobilski, and Ivanka Nebor.

Nurses: Susan Ketigian, Teresa O’Malley, Lindsey Norrito, Kirsten Kringle, Joanne Heil, Iryna Frankiv, Yuriy Tsuvanyk, and Mariana Varchuk

Administrators:
Aly Owens and Lisa Kadin

Drs Winters, Mashkevich, Rudomanenko, Chernobilsky, Moscatello, Panchenko, Abraham and Nebor

The mission duration was 7 days. Over 5 surgical days, 26 reconstructive surgeries were performed, five of which were unique procedures – bone transplants from legs and arms for the reconstruction of the jaw and nose.

Surgical cases included:

  • 5 free flaps (3 fibular free flap, 1 radial free flap and 1 anterolateral thigh flap) for reconstruction of mandibular, maxillary and midface defects
  • 11 personalized titanium 3D implants for facial bones reconstruction (Materialise)
  • 5 complex rhinoplasties
  • 1 facial nerve reconstruction with graft
Drs Rudomanenko, Mashkevich, Chernobilsky, Moscatello and Nebor are performing flap harvesting from the leg for mandibular reconstruction
Dr Ryan Winters (USA) and Vitaliy Panchenko (Ukraine)

The mission preparation took 3 months. We received more than 100 applications, but were able to select only 30. Following consultations, 26 patients underwent surgeries. There were 5 patients from the previous mission, which took place in September 2022. The American and Ukrainian teams worked side by side.

We are grateful to Ukrainian plastic surgeon Vitaliy Panchenko for his work and courage to host such a complex mission in his department. He, along with surgeons Mykola Syniuk, Tetiana Rudomanenko, Yuriy Herbish and Ukrainian anesthesiologists and nurses, made this mission possible and successful. Special gratitude goes to Hryhoriy Prokhorenko and Volodymyr Knychnytskyy.

Ukrainian team - Drs Syniuk, Knygynitsky, Prokhorenko and Panchenko
Drs Mashkevich and Nebor during patients consultation
First day - Patients consultation

On average, the surgeons operated for 15 hours daily. The total cost of all operations would have been about $1,000,000 in the United States. The team brought with them medical supplies, surgical threads, tools and equipment totaling about $100,000.

The microvascular instruments set was presented to Ukrainian plastic surgeon Dr. Vitaliy Panchenko by American team (Dr Mashkevich, Dr Panchenko, Susan Ketigian and Dr Abraham)

With the help of Materialise, titanium 3D implants for facial bone reconstruction were modeled and printed for patients, although such technologies and production are quite expensive. Professionals from Materialise provided free modeling and printing for Ukrainian patients, and volunteers were present at each surgery to help surgeons with visualization for each case.

Specialists from Materialise - Anastasia Krychun, Oleksandr Kanivets, Olha Horniak

One of the main goals of the Face to Face mission is to train Ukrainian surgeons. On the first day, American surgeons organized a workshop on applying vascular anastomoses under a microscope. They also conducted a training on the basics of scar reconstruction.

With the support of the Karl Storz Ukraine and Bionorica, the three surgical days were broadcast live, with more than 500 Ukrainian otolaryngologists, maxillofacial surgeons, plastic surgeons and ophthalmologists participating. The procedures were commented by Ukrainian specialists – Prof. Kopchak A.V., Bilotserkivsky I.V., Chepurny Y.V., Omerova L.M. and Yushchenko V.M.

Dr John Frodel and Razom for Ukraine team administrator Aly Owens

The Face to Face team was awarded by Lviv Regional State Administration and the Mayor of the City for volunteering efforts and helping Ukrainian victims of war. Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi also met with the team and thanked them for their support and work.

Face to Face team was awarded by Lviv Regional State Administration for their efforts and met with Mayor of Lviv - Andriy Sadovyi

The project is aimed at helping the soldiers and war-affected Ukrainians who have suffered head and neck injuries. This project is about reuniting caring people to help others. We are already planning our third mission. And we thank every partner and volunteer who makes this project possible!

We would like also to thank Yulia Shama (Razom), Iryna Gudyma (Razom), Ihor Kurylo (INgenius), Ihor Solovei (INgenius) and Oleksandr Zakorchenyi (Materialise) for their significant contribution to the mission.

The first Face to Face mission took place in September 2022 in Ivano-Frankivsk, where the team conducted 31 operations for soldiers and civilians who suffered from facial and neck injuries during the Russian-Ukrainian war. Details are here.

Photo report: Sa Va (Vasyl Salyha)

Original article and more photographs from the mission at https://ingeniusua.org/en/misiya-face-face-2

Please, donate to help us rebuild Ukraine and ensure that Ukrainian people have access to technologies available in the modern healthcare field

Back To Top

Razom Health Powers Up Ukrainian Hospitals

Published: February 27, 2023   
This winter, Razom Health team, together with Americares, Zdorovi Agency, and Patients of Ukraine, delivered 11 high-power generators to Ukrainian hospitals located near the frontlines and in partially occupied territories.

In October 2022, russia put extra effort into targeting and massively destroying civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. Regular waves of missiles and kamikaze drones were aimed at power plants, transmission lines, and other civilian objects. In November, it got to a point where some regions lost power, heat, and water entirely. The air raids damaged over 50% of the power system. Until this day, emergency blackouts in some areas of Ukraine last 10-12 hours or even more.

Following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, a big part of Razom’s budget has been allocated to aid medical facilities in Ukraine. Razom Health team quickly mobilized to help Ukrainian healthcare system and provided overwhelmed healthcare facilities with critical medicines, medical supplies, and equipment.

Razom’s partnership with Americares has been instrumental in supporting Razom for Ukraine’s mission. Since March 2022, Americares has provided over $70 million of aid to 74 organizations assisting those affected by the war in Ukraine. To Razom, they have generously donated crucial hospital supplies in the early stages of the war and continue being an ally in aiding the Ukrainian healthcare system.

Yoanna Ivaniv, Razom Health coordinator of Americares partnership, says working with them has been a great success. With the Americares grant of $250,000, Razom officially started a project to supply Ukrainian hospitals with high-power generators. 

...Americares' Ukraine Response Team was actively looking for ways to support Ukrainian hospitals' energy needs… The relationship we've had with Razom since the early-days of our response, coupled with their clearly laid-out plan, made the entire team at Americares comfortable supporting Razom in such a critically needed and time-sensitive project.

Jack O'Rourke – Deputy Field Team Lead, Americares Ukraine Response

The first step was contacting our partners on the ground – Zdorovi Agency and Patients of Ukraine – to determine which hospitals were the priority. Both NGOs worked on aiding and developing healthcare in Ukraine before the war and developed advanced logistics and reporting systems. They vet the hospitals, complete thorough monitoring protocols, and have full transparency in their reports.

Razom Health worked with Patients and Zdorovi for many months, together completed multiple projects, and developed a trusting relationship. These organizations helped select the hospitals in need using the following criteria:

  • immediate proximity to the frontlines
  • multiple departments
  • ED (Emergency Department)
  • ICUs (Intensive Care Units)
  • multiple ORs (Operating Rooms)
  • heavy patient flow
  • ability to build a platform for generator installation

Initially, with the data from the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, 22 medical facilities were selected for the project. Razom sent energy specialists and engineers to assess the facilities’ needs and capacity. As a result, 11 hospitals signed the agreement with Razom and started building the sites for the generators.

Meanwhile, Razom made a procurement offer using Prozorro – a decentralized public platform that ensures open access to procurement orders (tenders) in Ukraine. There were two competitive offers from Ukrainian companies, and the one with more experience in the field was chosen.

So far, 9 of 11 generators have been delivered and installed in hospitals in the Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, Sumy, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, and Odesa regions. With $40,000 saved from the grant, Razom plans to procure and deliver another generator to one of the hospitals affected by the war.

Razom Health Generators_1
Razom Health Generators_Sumy Region 2
Razom Health Generators_Kryvyi Rih Region 3
Razom Health Generators_Kryvyi Rih Region 2
Razom Health Generators_Kharkiv Region 2
Razom Health Generators_Kryvyi Rih Region 5
Razom Health Generators_Kharkiv Region 1
Razom Health Generators_Kryvyi Rih Region 4
Razom Health Generators_Dnipro Region 4
Razom Health Generators_Kharkiv Region 3
Razom Health Generators_Dnipro Region 3
Razom Health Generators_Dnipro Region 2
Razom Health Generators_3
Razom Health Generators_Kryvyi Rih Region 1

Nataliia Tulinova, a founder and CEO of Zdorovi Agency, has recently visited 21 medical facilities in Kherson, a region that remains under severe missile attacks. She says Kherson is not yet a part of the centralized database for medical facilities in Ukraine because it was under occupation when the database was created. Therefore, they do not receive the aid as promptly as other regions.

One of the most pressing concerns is landmine injuries. As terrifying as it sounds, the hospitals need surgical drills and saws used for amputations. Neurosurgical microscopes, ICU beds, commode wheelchairs, and diagnostic equipment like portable ultrasound and x-ray machines are also on the list of required equipment for patients found under collapsed buildings and injured by shellings and explosions.

Thank you for helping and being Razom.

PLEASE DONATE TODAY TO HELP RAZOM HEALTH
SUPPORT UKRAINE’S HEALTHCARE SYSTEM

Note: You will be redirected to a new page for processing. 

Co-Pilot Project presented in Prestigious Neurology Journal with Call for Aid

Published: February 21, 2023   

Proper professional education and training start with sharing of expertise and experience. Razom’s Co-Pilot Project has had this approach as its cornerstone for the past five years, bringing American surgeons to Ukraine to provide their Ukrainian colleagues with hands-on trainings.

And now, Co-Pilot Project has just been described and discussed in the Lancet Neurology, one of the most reputable journals in the clinical neurosciences, which is heavily read by clinicians. As the journal’s website states: “With an Impact Factor of 59·935, we are the world-leading clinical neurology journal, ranking first among 212 clinical neurology journals globally (2021 Journal Citation Reports®, Clarivate 2022).” Thus, the article is expected to have high visibility and response.

The article entitled “Urgent need for neurological care in Ukraine” serves as a call for aid to help improve neurological training for Ukrainian surgeons. The members of the neurosurgery and neurology communities “urge our colleagues in the medical community to join us in our efforts to improve neurological care in Ukraine.”, – reads the article. The authors “have compiled a list of urgent needs, as directly requested by local practitioners (appendix).” They encourage neurosurgeons and neurologists “to join our trips to Ukraine to provide in-person assistance and training” and health professionals “to contact their medical institutions and enquire about equipment and supplies that could be donated.” The authors highlight the key role of Razom in monitoring “the use of funds along with the delivery and utilisation of donations.”

You can read the article here.

Such training in advanced surgical skills is now more vital than ever, as many Ukrainians are being severely injured and wounded in the russian-Ukrainian war. We are deeply grateful for the support of the neurosurgery and neurology communities. Special thank-yous go to Luke Tomycz, Christopher Markosian, Oleksandr Strelko, Andrii Sirko, Mykhailo Lovha, Rocco Armonda and all the authors for their assistance in spreading the information about the CPP project and the current needs of Ukrainian surgeons.

Learn more about and support the Co-Pilot Project and Razom Health.

How we’re working together towards victory in 2023

Published: February 15, 2023   

Razom is multifaceted support for Ukraine: to stop the shelling (Advocacy), to stop the bleeding (delivering Tactical Medicine), to keep people alive (at Hospitals), to keep Ukrainians connected (with radios, generators), to connect the world to Ukraine (with you).  We are committed to victory.

Dear Razom community,

This is our first newsletter of the year and it’s been too long since the last, so you will see a lot of updates from us in this edition.  After our year-end holiday fundraising drive (we raised over $8MM, you are all absolutely incredible), the Razom team decided to take stock of its work and impact in 2022 to effectively plan for 2023 (while still delivering on our programs).  To do this required comprehending the sheer scale and length of this war, which at times feels like a herculean effort.  So does thinking it will go on for another day, and another.

In the span of nearly one year, Ukrainian Armed Forces, perhaps the most diverse army in the world today (made up of professionals, musicians, ballet dancers, olympic athletes, history teachers, journalists, volunteers, sons & daughters and moms & dads… did you know that 1 in 6 people in the Ukrainian army are women?) have defended Ukraine and freedom against an imperialistic, genocidal power with massive consequences.  Razom has supported these First Responders and Defenders from the start, and will continue to do so.  

In the span of nearly an entire year, Ukraine’s healthcare system has withstood extreme pressure and strain that has risked and scarred the lives of countless individuals across the country as this war is not only impacted on the battlefield, but in the systematic bombing of hospitals, schools, malls, theaters, apartment buildings, homes, key water and energy infrastructure, and more.  Razom has supported doctors and hospitals in the hottest regions across Ukraine from the start, and will continue to do so.  

In the span of nearly an entire year, there’s been a renaissance of NGOs in Ukraine that have stepped up in incredible ways (much like during the Maidan of 2013-2014 when Razom itself was born) supporting a vibrant civil society.  Razom has supported these grassroots organizations in Ukraine from the start, and will continue to do so. 

All of these targeted efforts on their own, save lives, and when put all together, move Ukraine forward in winning this illegal war.  Ukrainians have resisted and beat back this horror for 356 days now, but need your continued support today as ever before.  Every time you donate, forward this to a friend, repost and tweet, call your representatives, rally, engage with the things that Ukrainians create – you become a part of the resistance and the victory.

In just the first half of February, Razom teams delivered a total of 132 orders to First Responders and Defenders, most of them in the east of Ukraine. We also transferred 4500 IFAKs to a major military unit so that they can be deployed quickly in case of an escalated assault on the one year anniversary of the full-scale invasion. In the months of December, January, and part of February, Razom fulfilled 641 orders (out of 745 which also went to medical facilities and NGOs) of tactical medicine and communications equipment to First Responders and Defenders.  We constantly monitor requests so we can respond quickly with the supplies needed most that save lives.

Our team in Ukraine also launched an innovative collaboration to provide meals-ready-to-eat (MRE) that are made in Ukraine. We’ll share more in our next newsletter issue, but you can preview it here Проект «Космічний харч» – Razom (razomforukraine.org).

Each order makes it to the end user thanks to the effort of many hands. We are streamlining our processes so we can keep getting more efficient. Our Razom office in Lviv today was busy with people processing paperwork on deliveries that have gone out this week and preparing the next shipments.

Donate Now

Our support for the Ukrainian healthcare system is formalized under the project Razom Health, whose activities have evolved into a diverse set of programs and strategic partnerships designed to not only support the system during wartime, but strengthen medical care in Ukraine for the future in line with Razom’s mission.  Here is a spotlight of some of our work over the past two months in gathering medical supplies, planning out the logistics of their delivery, and coordinating medical missions:

  • With grants from Americares and others, Razom Health was able to cover the costs of procuring, delivering, and installing backup hospital grade power generators and winterization equipment.  So far three out of eleven generators have been installed (which includes training Ukrainian medical workers to use the equipment) and three oil heaters delivered in the Dnipropetrovsk region of eastern Ukraine.
  • Thanks to a grant and your generous donations, Razom Health was able to procure, set up, and distribute (with some still in transit to our warehouse in Ukraine) over 120 portable Butterfly ultrasounds so that doctors and paramedics on the front lines of the war can diagnose and treat patients faster, more accurately, and in a non-invasive way in wartime conditions.
  • In partnership with our friends and distribution partners Zdorovi in Ukraine, an anesthesia machine from Partners for World Health was delivered to a hospital in Dnipro.
  • In the aftermath of traumatic injuries caused by the war, many Ukrainian civilians are in need of durable medical equipment like wheelchairs, walkers, and crutches.  Razom’s team of drivers continue to deliver these items (donated as a three-part installment from the Afya Foundation) to hospitals, rehab facilities, and nursing homes throughout Ukraine. In December, they made it to the Veterans Hospital in Kropyvnytskyi and Mechnikov Hospital in Dnipro.
  • In partnership with Marsh Zhinok in Ukraine, who distributes prenatal vitamins as part of baby boxes for pregnant women, those who have just given birth, as well as women who are breastfeeding, we’ve been able to deliver 6 pallets of prenatal vitamins that will reach women in Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, and Kherson regions. 
  • Over the holidays and well into the new year, our team has been distributing brand new scrubs from FIGS to boost the spirits of overburdened Ukrainian healthcare workers across the country.

Our Razom Grants project aims to support civil society at the most local levels across Ukraine.  Non-governmental organizations, of which there are over 120 now that have received grants, address hyper local problems in regions that suffer most as a result of the war.  During this winter season, our focus has been on electricity (which can be connectivity for school children, or warmth for the displaced and people in need) and basic humanitarian aid to regions in Ukraine that are experiencing the most extreme violence and destruction, i.e. closest to the front.

As of today, our team of drivers in partnership with our grantees have distributed 87 generators and 46 charging stations across Ukraine.  They are largely for shelters, “Resilience Points,” humanitarian aid hubs, and institutions like PEN Ukraine International and Ukrainian Institute Kyiv.  For example with Volonterska UA, we enabled them to deliver 14 generators as part of their goal to distribute them to every de-occupied village in the Kharkiv region where there is still no electricity.  They were installed in village councils, administrative premises, medical stations, lyceums, cultural centers, hospitals, and more.

To get a sense of what life is like for civilians in de-occupied territories or towns that are on the front lines, one needs look no further than Bakhmut in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine [read our long-form blog post here].  Check out video footage from our grantees at Ukrainian Charity Alliance delivering aid there.  One woman shares, “Along with the packages of humanitarian aid that you all deliver, you’re also delivering faith in that we are one Ukraine and that we are not forgotten.” 

As we look ahead to the challenges in front of us, Razom has taken steps to systematize and scale our organization in order to better serve our mission, our projects, our donors, and our engagement with volunteers. For eight years Razom was a fully volunteer-run organization. In 2022, we started building a volunteer-driven organization with strong institutional support. Today this means transforming our Board into a governance board, compensating our CEO, and building out a full-time and part-time staff to support our programs sustainably. This month, we are also beginning our first-ever independent financial audit and continue to improve our systems and processes. 

As we approach the one year mark of the full-scale invasion and of the intense sprint of our work together, we invite you to join people around the world to rally in support of Ukraine on Saturday, February 25th.  We’re keeping a running list of rallies here, and if you’d like to get your city, town, or village added to it, please reply to this email.  It’s vital to continue putting pressure on our governments and public to not be bystanders to the atrocity in Ukraine, to “defend the international legal order and peace project of the EU, to end an era of empire and weaken the prestige of tyrants around the world, and remind each other that democracy is the better system.”  The list is a lot longer than that, and you can learn more here thanks to Timothy Snyder, a historian who specializes in the modern history of Central and Eastern Europe.

If you can make it to D.C. join us there, but it’s just as important to show up in your local communities too.  We’re tracking those rallies here: https://www.razomforukraine.org/marking-365-days-of-resilience/

To stay up to date on Razom Advocacy’s work, including information on every single campaign we’re running, register to be an advocate here.  Currently we’re prioritizing continuous military and economic support for Ukraine, and the designation of Wagner as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.   

Join our advocates network to get the latest news from our Advocacy Team here: https://www.votervoice.net/RAZOMFORUKRAINE/Register
There’s power in understanding key policy towards Ukraine to stay active and engaged with a war that’s impacted so many of us. 

Thank you so much for reading this newsletter and hopefully passing it on, calling your representatives, joining us at events and rallies, and generously donating to our projects, and for showing your support for Ukraine.  Stay razom (together).

P.S. –  The 2022 tax receipts have now been sent out either by email or mail for donations totalling over $250 (please check your mailbox for the subject “Thank you for donating to Razom!”).  If you have not received it, we might not have had your email or address, so please email us at donations@razomforukraine.org with “Tax Receipt” in the subject line and include your name and method of your donation.  

Donate Now

January Updates from Razom Health: Hospital-Grade Generators and Much-Needed Medical Aid

Published: January 29, 2023   

While russia continues shelling Ukrainian cities, Razom is providing critical aid to Ukrainians impacted by these terrorizing attacks. Ukraine’s medical system is facing enormous challenges, but our partners have been helping us support civilian hospitals since day one of the war. The following are the most recent updates from our outstanding Razom Health team.

Thanks to a generous grant from Americares, Razom Health was able to procure 11 powerful generators for Ukrainian hospitals. Together with the help of our Ukrainian partners Patients of Ukraine and Zdorovi Agency our team will distribute them to the medical facilities that need them most. Providing generators will ensure that even during power outages doctors can continue providing emergency care and will be able to save the lives of many civilians. The first three generators are already on their way from our warehouse in Kyiv to hospitals in Kryvyi Rih, Marganets, and Tomakivka in the Dnipropetrovsk region of eastern Ukraine. To continue this critical initiative, we plan to procure at least 10 more generators so that we can assist hospitals in need throughout Ukraine.


Pictured below are an anesthesia machine that was recently delivered to a hospital in Dnipro and two containers of critical medical aid donated by Partners For World Health. We are grateful to our friends at Zdorovi Agency for distributing these items to the facilities that need them most.

In the aftermath of traumatic injuries caused by the war, many Ukrainian civilians are in need of durable medical equipment like wheelchairs, walkers, and crutches. Our partners Afya Foundation have been a leading donor of this equipment to Razom Health. Pictured here is the third and final container of Afya’s latest donation. This medical equipment will be distributed to hospitals, rehab facilities, and nursing homes throughout Ukraine.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is wheelchairs-walkers-and-crutches-Health.jpg

We’d also like to thank our longtime partners WearFigs for boosting the spirits of Ukrainian healthcare workers this holiday season. FIGS supplied Ukrainian medical professionals with brand-new sets of their comfortable scrubs – a very welcome (and necessary) holiday gift for Ukraine’s healthcare heroes experiencing work and wartime fatigue. Thank you, FIGS, for showing how you stand with Ukraine!

This mission and aid would be impossible without the donations of thousands of caring people like you who sincerely support Ukraine. We appreciate your donations and encourage you to continue your vital support of the project. No donation is too small, especially when it comes to saving lives.

December Updates from Razom Health: Medications, Wheelchairs and More

Published: December 30, 2022   

Razom Health team continues working hard on ensuring support of American and international organizations, funds and establishments, to provide diverse aid for hospitals and Ukrainian healthcare system overall. Here are the highlights of the last month of 2022.

During wartime, Ukrainian hospitals and the wider civilian population are experiencing severe shortages of medications. Razom Health is working to meet this ever-present need. Thanks to a generous donation from our partners at Sapientia, we are happy to share that many hospitals in hot-spot regions have recently received levothyroxine – a critical thyroid medication.

Shout out to David and Rachel – pictured here with our own Razom team members – who traveled halfway around the world (NYC —> Lviv ) to hand-deliver critical supplies for surgical departments in Ukrainian hospitals. This was made possible through the “Luggage for Life” program at Afya Foundation – a dedicated Razom Health partner.

This winter, with Ukraine’s basic infrastructure under attack, reliable heat sources are of the utmost importance for medical facilities – and Razom Health is meeting this need. Pictured here are the first of several oil heaters that Razom has procured for hospitals throughout the country. These two were delivered to hospitals in Izium and Balakliia, in Ukraine’s eastern Kharkiv oblast.

Pictured below is the recent delivery of wheelchairs to two hospitals in central Ukraine: the Veterans Hospital in Kropyvnytskyi and Mechnikov Hospital in Dnipro.  This could only become possible thanks to our network of partners and donors – thank you for helping us support Ukraine!

These are just few examples of the critical supplies that Razom is able to procure and deliver to Ukrainian hospitals, thanks to generous donations from our community. Want to help Ukrainian doctors, nurses, and patients this winter? Please consider supporting our work – donations of all sizes make a difference!

What we’ve been able to accomplish towards winter preparedness so far

Published: December 16, 2022   

The continuous targeting of Ukrainian energy infrastructure since the beginning of October has highlighted that energy supply isn’t just a winter issue, but a continuous wartime issue that has ripple effects across every aspect of life in Ukraine.  We look at our team, our volunteers, our working partners, and people in Ukraine persevering during the darkest and harshest period since the full-scale invasion, and we want to do more as soon as possible.  This week, updates on how we’ve been able to respond thus far.

Dear Razom community,

In the span of only 2.5 months, over 9,000 of you made a donation to Razom to make it possible for us to do everything in our power to get Ukraine closer to victory.  These days it’s meant delivering humanitarian aid that can save lives during a cold winter and constant electricity outages.  Today we want to report on that work as it impacts the work of defenders and first-responders, hospitals, and local civil society groups providing basic aid to internally displaced people in Ukraine.

We have already supplied the majority of first responder units on the frontlines, at least once.  Between now and October, we have delivered 400 wood burning portable stoves, 7,500 freeze dried meals, and over 2,500 pieces of warm tactical clothing to our Ukrainian defenders and first responders.  This is on top of our regular deliveries of IFAKs and communications equipment.

Most important during this time period have been our deliveries of 161 generators and 112 Ecoflow or Bluetti portable power stations to the frontlines.  Having electricity means having connectivity, and in war time, accessing and disseminating information can be the difference between life and death.  All of this aid has so far reached Bahmut, Kharkiv, and Kherson only — regions with the most brutal and consistent violence and destruction.

Since the first days of the invasion, Razom has been developing its own ERP system, enterprise resource planning software called Ozero to ensure effective accounting of the humanitarian aid we procure, ship and deliver between our warehouses and the final destination of aid in the hands of battalions, first responder units, and hospitals across Ukraine.  Our team of programmers and logistics managers have been refining the software so that today Ozero is used by six other organizations to track their aid in Ukraine!  In fact, if you’re an organization working to distribute aid on the ground, feel free to reach out to us to learn about how you can gain access to our Razom-made software.

The Razom Health team (formerly referred to as the Hospitals Team) won a $250,000 grant from Americares to supply generators to hospitals.  It’s one of the biggest grants we’ve received to date!

Hospital generators are differentiated by their much higher power capacity — they can’t power up an entire facility, but they can support individual units like ICUs and operating rooms.  With this grant, we’ve purchased enough to be able to supply 11 hospitals in Ukraine with reserve generators that provide between 20-80kW of power, supporting specific departments within the hospital.  These hospitals are in Mykolaiv, Zaporizhia, Dnipro, Kharkiv and Odesa regions, places that are dealing with high inflow of patients and where the risks of power disruptions and difficulties of restoring electricity supply are the greatest.  

In an aim to support Ukraine’s institutions and local economy, the Razom Health team utilized an open source government e-tender system, ProZorro, to ensure maximum transparently in our purchasing process.  The bid that won out includes Turkish manufacturers and Ukrainian distributors.  ProZorro was implemented in 2016 and has since been globally recognized as one of the most innovative public procurement systems delivering government services in a stakeholder-focused, transparent, effective, fair and low-cost way.

We can’t wait to share with you photos and videos of those generators in the right hands as soon as they get delivered and installed!

Donate Now

Last but not least, the Razom Grants team has already delivered 90 generators that will be distributed by our grantees to power places (many in Kharkiv) where Ukrainians can gather to charge their devices and get warm.  Some of these places are shelters or heating zones over 3,200 sq ft in size, and across Ukraine they’re referred to as “Points of Invincibility.”   Razom has worked to support over 100 different NGOs in Ukraine to uplift the extremely active civil society groups that organized after the invasion to help people in need.  Below are a few of the groups we’re supporting in this project:

  • Stezhka Dodomu (The Way Home) runs a shelter for victims of domestic violence in the Odessa region.  When the full scale invasion broke out, they were extremely active in helping IDPs while continuing to run their shelter, which now also includes low-income families, children who were forced to leave their homes because of the war, and senior citizens. 
  • Volonterska UA a consistent Razom Grantee based out of Kharkiv that has identified over 14 “Points of Invincibility,” heating spots across deoccupied areas in the region.   
  • A Kindergarten turned shelter whose main mechanism of preparing food is via induction stove, requiring electricity to cook.
  • Korsakiv Center of Contemporary Ukrainian Art turned shelter in Lutsk that offers frequent art, craft, yoga, breathing, dancing, and performing arts workshops for kids and adults.  It also operates next to Adrenalin City, a mall in Lutsk that’s been converted into a massive shelter. 

There are a number of amazing projects you can support that will bring you closer with Ukrainian culture, art, and history.  Below is a roundup of some of those events and fundraising opportunities.  Moving forward, you’ll also be able to catch the most up to date schedule of events and creative fundraising campaigns on our website here.

In Washinton, D.C.:

  • On Friday, December 16, 8PM, the Music Director Cynthia Woods and the Cambridge Symphony Orchestra present Holiday Pops 2022 at the Robbins Memorial Town Hall in Arlington, VA.  A festive, glamorous night out with holiday favorites including Sleigh Ride and the world premiere of Scrooge: A Christmas Overture by composer Donald Fraser—featuring Vira Slywotzky, soprano.  Get your tickets here!

In New York:

  • On Friday, January 20, 8-10PM Plast Chornomovtsi and Chornomorski Khvyli present Newark Deb Pub Night with an open bar at Lys Mykyta in NYC.  You can get your tickets on presale or at the door.  More info here (all proceeds go to Razom!).  
  • Between now and January 19, 81 Leonard Gallery is pleased to present PAUSE: Lucky Charms, a solo exhibition of recent paintings by Ukrainian-American artist Christina Saj.  The exhibitionexplores the perception of magic implicit in talismans and symbols as well as the ontological nature of spirituality.  The artwork is also available for purchase online.  40% of proceeds from the exhibit will be donated to Razom!   
  • On Saturday, February 4, 8PM at Opera America in NYC, contralto Vira Slywotzky and pianist & composer Dina Pruzhansky present This American Life, a performance of classical, popular, and folk songs from the US and Ukraine.  Email virasly@razomforukraine.org to reserve seats.
    • You can catch the performance in New Haven, CT on Sunday, January 22 at 5PM at Bethesda Lutheran Church, and in Hudson, NY on Friday, February 10 at 7PM too at Hudson Hall! 

In Massachusetts:

In Florida:

  • Introducing to the world: KOLO, an unparalleled immersive visual experience and theatrical dance show celebrating the rich artistic and cultural heritage of Ukraine!  The first of its kind, KOLO is the brainchild of award-winning, Ukrainian-bred competitive ballroom dancers and partners, Iaroslav and Liliia Bieliei, both natives of Kyiv who now call Los Angeles home.  The show is launching its North American tour in Florida:

Online:

  • Stream a historic performance of the National Ballet of Ukraine from Orlando, FL at the prestigious Steinmetz Hall on August 27, 2022, and donate to help raise humanitarian aid for Ukrainian children and families.  The National Ballet of Ukraine is considered one of the top ranked ballet companies in the world.  Cozy up with your friends and loved ones and watch a special performance that affirms the power of art and beauty over tyranny and destruction.
  • Awethentic Gallery’s latest charity campaign, Prints for Ukraine, features a variety of artworks from award-winning journalists and photographers across the world, including Mykhaylo Palinchak who served as the official photographer of the President of Ukraine; Emmy-nominated journalist Laurel Chor and renowned documentary photographer, Natalie Keyssar.  All artworks are $150 and 100% of net proceeds of prints go directly to our artists and critical humanitarian war relief charities Razom and World Central Kitchen.  

Globally: 

  • Started by a Ukrainian yoga teacher, Yoga4Ukraine aims to bring together 1,000 yoga teachers all around the world that each donate ONE yoga class!  Any style, any format, anywhere, anytime. Visit  www.yoga4ukraine.com  to officially become a part of the Yoga4Ukraine project or find a class near you, and get your Yoga4Ukraine t-shirt to support the initiative today.  All donations will benefit United24 and Razom.  

Thank you so much for reading this newsletter, sharing it, generously donating to our projects, and for showing your support for Ukraine.  We are immensely grateful.

Stay razom.

P.S. – This time of year a lot of companies are offering matching options for your donations throughout the year.  Make sure to take advantage of that!  If you have any questions, please reach out to donations@razomforukraine.org.  

Donate to Razom