Paramedics for Ukraine relief effort

**UPDATE** Thank you everybody!! Due to the amazing donations we have raised so far in such a short space of time (almost our entire initial target in less than a day!) we have decided to try our very best to raise enough funding to purchase a second-hand ambulance ourselves to utilise and donate to the Ukraine relief effort. Travelling to do what we can with just our paramedic skills will absolutely make a difference, but delivering a fully crewed ambulance would multiply the help we can deliver many times over, helping us to reach and treat so many more people. Thank you so much to everyone so far, and please spread the word to as many friends, family members and colleagues that you can! Thank you! **

Hi, my name is Tom and I am a UK registered paramedic. The war in Ukraine is creating a humanitarian crisis not seen in Europe since World War 2 with basic infrastructure and access to healthcare and emergency services in the country severely damaged. Most of us in the UK have seen the pictures and videos of displaced refugees, destroyed buildings and, horrifyingly, dead children beamed into our living rooms and are left with an urgent sense of wanting to 'do something'. As a daddy to a little girl, the thought of my daughter having to go through what many kids in Ukraine are experiencing left me desperately wanting to help. As a paramedic, I knew I was in a position where I really could 'do something'.

Together with my crewmate Kai, we have decided to travel to the Moldova/Ukraine border to help in any way we can. We have used our leave from our normal jobs responding in the UK to book a planned 2 week trip starting on the 28th March. To enable us to travel, either through fuel for an ambulance (there is a possibility that we will acquire one to drive down in the coming days) or flights and transfer costs, as well as extra luggage to take more stores with us, we need your help. Donations made here will go directly towards getting our skillset to the destination it is needed most. Once there, we plan to link in with a disaster relief charity (Samu First Response) under a Dr Borja Escalada, who are currently at the border taking in refugees with all manner of injuries and illnesses. Moldova itself is the poorest nation in Europe and is ill equipped to deal with such an influx. It is situated just 60km from Odessa, a city of millions preparing for an attack from nearby russian forces. Where the focus for aid and funding has so far been directed to the Polish border, the refugees arriving in Moldova are experiencing a very tough time. Should a ceasefire be announced before or during our time there, we then plan to head into Ukraine itself to help. Any excess funds that we don't use will go into buying medicines or stores locally, or be donated directly to Samu.

We hope you will join us in making a tangible difference to the people of Ukraine in any way you can.

Thank you,

Tom & Kai