Category: Humanitarian/Medical

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CANADA UKRAINE SURGICAL AID PROGRAM – CUSAP IMPROVES QUALITY OF LIFE OF UKRAINIANS WHO SUFFERED SEVERE, TRAUMATIC INJURIES IN RUSSIA’S WAR ON UKRAINE

A team of volunteer medical professionals from across Canada are currently in Poland for the sixth mission of the Canada Ukraine Surgical Aid Program (CUSAP) since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022. The team of medical professionals assessed 15 patients to determine the best course of treatment for their extensive lower and upper extremities injuries.

From November 2 to November 6, 11 patients were operated on – three of them had multi-stage surgeries spanning five days with preparatory free-flap procedures performed a few weeks earlier in Ukraine by Canadian surgeons from the Sunnybrook Ukraine Surgical Educational Initiative.

The CUSAP team is getting patients back on their feet and restoring function to arms and hands through complex, reconstructive, muti-stage surgical procedures, such as removal of external fixators, bone grafts, nerve exploration and transposition, tendons transfer, and shrapnel removal. Our volunteers aim to improve patients’ quality of life by giving them the ability to once again walk and use their hands – something we take for granted in our daily lives.

Over the last five days, four Ukrainian surgeons scrubbed in to assist Canadian colleagues and gain experience from some of the most skilled surgical practitioners in North America. By demonstrating new perspectives and approaches in orthopedic surgery, the impact of CUSAP, a project of the Canada-Ukraine Foundation and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, goes far beyond patients treated in Poland. Through education, the program will assist civilians and soldiers injured in Ukraine.

These patients have all suffered unimaginably from Russia’s unprovoked, genocidal war on Ukraine. Our goal is to do everything possible to restore their quality of life as they begin the process of recovery and healing. We are incredibly thankful to our donors for enabling us to provide the highest quality of care to Ukrainians injured in the war. Your contribution allows us to change lives one patient case at a time. We invite you to continue leaving your mark of hope by donating to support CUSAP.

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6TH MEDICAL MISSION OF CUSAP – CANADA UKRAINE SURGICAL AID PROGRAM IS UNDERWAY IN POLAND

Arrival of patients

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022, the Canada-Ukraine Foundation in partnership with Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, have held 5 successful surgical missions in Czeladz, Poland, performing over 170 procedures and providing care to over 95 Ukrainian citizens with severe traumas.

From October 27th to November 10th, the incredible team of volunteer medical professionals from across Canada are once again in Poland to provide comprehensive state-of-the-art multidisciplinary trauma care and post-trauma reconstruction to both civilian and military casualties of war in Ukraine and, at the same time, providing support to Ukrainian healthcare professionals through education in trauma reconstruction.

This mission will focus on complex reconstructive surgeries, including orthopaedic and extremity procedures. The cranio-facial component of the program has currently transformed into an educational initiative with live demonstrations in Ukraine – their mission was just held in Lutsk at the beginning of October.

Our team of 30 volunteers includes orthopedic, hand and burn surgeons, anesthesiologists, ICU-intensive care physicians, internists, operating room and ward nurses, physiotherapists, and support staff.

The mission began with the set-up team organizing OR and ward supplies and preparing everything required for surgeries and post-op care.

On October 30th, we welcomed our patients – returning and new – which is always a very special moment. CUSAP patients sustain some of the most severe injuries from the war and require complex reconstructive surgeries. Patients will receive complete assessment, necessary scans, lab work, post-operative assessment, pharmaceutical medications, and referrals for psychological and physiological rehabilitation.

Arrival of 15 patients

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the donors for their unwavering support, which has made our missions possible. Your contributions are the lifeline that allows us to assist patients one surgery at a time. We invite you to continue leaving your mark of hope by donating today to support CUSAP. Together, we can make a real difference!

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OHMATDYT HOSPITAL FUNDRAISER UPDATE

On July 10th, the Canada-Ukraine Foundation launched a special campaign for the Ohmatdyt Children’s Hospital in Kyiv through the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal (UHA), a joint project with the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC).  

Just 2 days prior, on July 8th, Russia launched a targeted missile attack on Ohmatdyt – Ukraine’s largest children’s hospital, where hundreds of pediatric patients received specialized care, such as dialysis and cancer treatment. At the time of the barbaric attack, which resulted in the damage and destruction of several departments, there were 627 children at the hospital. Svitlana Lukyanchuk, a 30-year-old nephrologist working with dialysis patients at the time of the attack, was killed. Hundreds of people, including young children, were wounded. A boy who was in the ICU, had died a few days later. Due to this attack, which destroyed life-supporting infrastructure, hundreds of children have to seek medical treatment elsewhere. 

CBC: The National report about Solomiya, who was treated at Ohmatdyt on the morning of the attack and Canada-Ukraine Foundation’s fundraiser.

With the help of you, our generous donors, our campaign raised an incredible $821,243.27 for the Ohmatdyt Children’s Hospital between July and August. The funds will help restore the hospital’s capacity to treat young children with complex medical conditions, including the provision of life-saving medications that the patients so desperately need. 

The Canadian spirit of unity and dedication to helping Ukrainian children made a real difference. All of us at the Canada-Ukraine Foundation want to thank you for your unwavering support of our mission in Ukraine. 

Our work doesn’t end here. Please continue supporting those in need by donating to the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.

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CUF-UCC CALLS FOR SUPPORT OF OHMATDYT CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

DONATE NOW TO RAISE $1,000,000
FOR OHMATDYT CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

For more than ten years now, Ukraine has been the victim of countless war crimes committed by the Russian military. But the July 8th attacks on the Children’s Hospital Ohmatdyt, maternity hospital and fertility clinic in Kyiv is undeniable proof that Russia is waging a genocidal war on Ukraine: targeting Ukrainian children – the healthy, the seriously ill, and the unborn.

The Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal is launching a one-month campaign to raise one million dollars for the hospital and its patients. Please donate now.

At least 41 people died as a result of the attack, and more than 170 are injured. Countless seriously ill children no longer have a place to receive treatment. This is the aftermath of July 8th attacks across multiple cities in Ukraine, including Kyiv.

Ohmatdyt is the largest specialized children’s hospital in Ukraine, treating 20,000 children and performing 10,000 surgeries annually. It is where young cancer patients get treatment. For many children, this is their last chance to recover and regain their health and childhood, and ensure they live a full life. The consequences of a rocket hit for these children are irreparable, including sickness from the suddenly non-sterile conditions, physical injuries, and death.

The CUF-UCC joint Ukraine Humanitarian Relief Committee is actively working with the management of the Ohmatdyt Children’s Hospital to best target all the funds we raise through this special fundraising drive. 

Donate now to get the help to the young patients clinging to life at Ohmatdyt Children’s Hospital.

The Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal has been established jointly by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) and the Canada Ukraine Foundation (CUF) to formalize a coordinated approach in providing humanitarian assistance quickly and efficiently to those in need in Ukraine to address any further aggression by Russia. The main efforts of cooperation are to provide humanitarian assistance/relief in the areas of assistance to displaced persons, medical care, emergency shelter and food security.

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CUSAP – EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVE FOR UKRAINIAN DOCTORS

The Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF) has supported surgical missions to Ukraine, under the leadership of Dr. Oleh Antonyshyn, since 2014 to treat those who suffered severe injuries during the Revolution of Dignity in 2013 and subsequent war in Eastern Ukraine. In 2019, a partnership between CUF and the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre was initiated to support training the next generation of Ukrainian doctors by providing comprehensive education in reconstructive surgery.

The educational aspect has seen Ukrainian surgeons join the missions of the Canada Ukraine Surgical Aid Program (CUSAP) to learn first-hand how to operate in a multidisciplinary team environment and gain skills, knowledge, and expertise to help patients locally.

Since launching the educational component, over 40 Ukrainian surgeons and physicians have joined CUSAP missions. The doctors from Ukraine are involved in every stage of patient care; they participate in pre-operative patient consults with the Canadian medical team, observe and assist in surgeries, and help care for patients after their operations. The Ukrainian doctors also gain in-depth knowledge of each patient’s treatment plan, which includes follow-up procedures completed in Ukraine as part of the multi-stage surgical plan.

Dr. Oleh Antonyshyn believes that surgery is an important aspect of the humanitarian initiative, but an overarching goal is to build capacity in Ukraine, so that doctors can become self-sufficient and perform advanced procedures locally going forward.

Ukrainian surgeons are extremely grateful for the opportunity to enhance their practical and professional skills and benefit from observerships and mentorships with Canadian volunteers.

A few words from some of the Ukrainian surgeons…

Providing advanced hands-on surgical experience to Ukrainian doctors in the time of war is crucial. We are grateful to all who supported and continue to support CUSAP, and we value our partnership with the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Together, we can make a real difference and bring hope and healing through life-changing surgeries and education!

Canada Ukraine Surgical Aid Program – CUSAP is a humanitarian surgical aid initiative that provides life-changing care to patients affected by the war in Ukraine. To learn more and support, follow the link.

Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF) – founded in 1995, CUF has a strong track record of providing humanitarian assistance to Ukraine in the areas of healthcare, education and civil society. CUF collaborates with aid providers in Ukraine, Canada, and beyond to maximize impact and cost-effectiveness of your support. For more information, please follow the link.

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A DAY IN THE LIFE OF CUSAP VOLUNTEERS

Follow the team and experience a day in the life of volunteers of the Canada Ukraine Surgical Aid Program, supported by the Canada-Ukraine Foundation. Watch as the multidisciplinary group of surgeons, anesthesiologists, internists, and nurses undertake highly complex procedures and look after the patients’ health with skill and compassion. For each mission, CUSAP surgeons perform dozens of extremely complicated surgeries that can last up to ten hours. Highly skilled internists and nurses monitor the patients’ condition to ensure they heal and thrive after surgeries. The medical professionals are assisted by a group of support staff, who allow everything from transport to tech to run smoothly. Each member of the CUSAP initiative plays an integral role in ensuring the success of the missions.

This fifth humanitarian surgical mission in Poland, was joined by eleven surgeons, five anesthetists, five intensivists, thirteen operating room nurses, seventeen ward nurses, an occupation therapist, and a psychologist. The team works around the clock to deliver quality care to injured Ukrainians. Everything is planned and executed with the utmost care and precision, from scheduling surgeries, ordering medications, and coordinating with Polish and Ukrainian officials.

We are deeply grateful that CUSAP volunteers are able to commit their time and skills to this program. It is only because of their dedication and passion that this humanitarian assistance program can exist. They are indeed providing transformative care to so many.

Hundreds of volunteers and thousands of donors have been involved in the CUSAP initiative, impacting the lives of Ukrainian victims of war. We invite you to make your mark of hope by donating today to support CUSAP. Together, we can make a real difference and bring hope and healing through life-changing surgeries!

Canada Ukraine Surgical Aid Program – CUSAP is a humanitarian surgical aid initiative that provides life-changing care to patients affected by the war in Ukraine. To learn more and support, follow the link.

Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF) – founded in 1995, CUF has a strong track record of providing humanitarian assistance to Ukraine in the areas of healthcare, education and civil society. CUF collaborates with aid providers in Ukraine, Canada, and beyond to maximize impact and cost-effectiveness of your support. For more information, please follow the link.

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CANADA UKRAINE SURGICAL AID PROGRAM – CUSAP WELCOMES THE AMBASSADOR OF CANADA TO UKRAINE IN POLAND

Her Excellency Natalka Cmoc, the Ambassador of Canada to Ukraine, and the CUSAP team.

On Thursday, April 25th, we were honoured to welcome Her Excellency Natalka Cmoc, the Ambassador of Canada to Ukraine, on the fifth mission of the Canada Ukraine Surgical Aid Program (CUSAP).

The Ambassador was greeted at the mission host hospital, Powiatowy Zespół Zakładów Opieki Zdrowotnei, in Czeladź, Poland, where CUSAP missions have been held since the fall of 2022. Hospital Administration and the Polish medical team spoke to the Ambassador about how meaningful it is to them to host the CUSAP missions and be a part of the team assisting Ukrainians in the time of war.

Ambassador Cmoc toured the ward, which the Polish team refers to as the “Canada wing,” and met with Ukrainian patients, who shared their personal stories and how eagerly they await the next steps in their recovery. 

The Ambassador spoke to the CUSAP multidisciplinary medical team and thanked them for volunteering their time and skills to help Ukraine’s victims of war. Only 12% of CUSAP medical professionals are of Ukrainian background, others are returning volunteers, who are driven by the overwhelming need in Ukraine. All of our dedicated medical staff are passionate about the impact their work has on the quality of life of so many patients.

Dr. Oleh Antonyshyn, founder and head surgeon of CUSAP, spoke about the education component of these missions. He explained that surgeons and physicians from Ukraine join our volunteers to observe, assist, learn new technologies, and acquire skills and knowledge to bring back to Ukraine to help patients locally.

Olesia Luciw-Andryjowycz, a Director on the Board of the Canada-Ukraine Foundation, which has funded these surgical missions since 2014, thanked Ambassador Cmoc for a very special visit to the fifth CUSAP mission and for witnessing our volunteers’ work first-hand. She also showed her appreciation to the hospital management for opening their doors to the Canadian team and Ukrainian patients.

Ambassador Cmoc said, “The Canada Ukraine Surgical Aid Program is an outstanding example of how Canadian volunteers support Ukrainian doctors and Ukrainian patients. In the past 10 years, volunteer medical professionals from Canada have provided invaluable support to more than 280 trauma patients from Ukraine. This is remarkable cooperation – Ukrainian doctors collect complete medical history for every patient and help coordinate preparation for the surgeries, take part in the surgeries and oversee the rehabilitation. Under the impact of war, they are the people who will take trauma care and post-trauma reconstruction in Ukraine to a new level. The surgeries here are life-changing. Ukrainian patients would not be able to receive full treatment like this in Ukraine at this time. Every case is very complex, but all the patients without exception are optimistic and incredibly strong. They know they are not alone and in good hands. I wholeheartedly wish them full recovery. According to the surgeons, several years ago most of the patients in these missions were veterans. Now there are more and more civilians with severe traumas. It reflects the scale and toll of Russian war in Ukraine.”

Canada Ukraine Surgical Aid Program – CUSAP is a humanitarian surgical aid initiative that provides life-changing care to patients affected by the war in Ukraine. To learn more and support, follow the link.

Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF) – founded in 1995, CUF has a strong track record of providing humanitarian assistance to Ukraine in the areas of healthcare, education and civil society. CUF collaborates with aid providers in Ukraine, Canada, and beyond to maximize impact and cost-effectiveness of your support. For more information, please follow the link.

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ONE PATIENT’S JOURNEY WITH THE CANADA UKRAINE SURGICAL AID PROGRAM

The Canada Ukraine Surgical Aid Program (CUSAP) provides comprehensive surgical assistance to Ukraine’s victims of war. CUSAP takes on the most complicated patient cases from the Russian invasion that, at this time, would not be able to receive full treatment in Ukraine. All patients treated on CUSAP surgical missions have suffered ballistic trauma from firearms or munition.

Since the establishment of CUSAP in 2014, a multidisciplinary team of Canadian medics has treated 286 patients with multiple complex injuries, each requiring several operations and procedures.

Serhii was a patient on missions 3 (April 2023) and 4 (September 2023) in Poland. He suffered a mine-blast injury on November 24, 2022. Serhii was left with severe damage to his spine, a shrapnel injury to the back wall of his chest, and serious trauma to his upper and lower extremities, including a traumatic amputation of his lower left leg and a gunshot fracture of his right femur and left humerus and scapula. He also sustained shrapnel injuries to both forearms. 

Those of us without medical training cannot fully understand the extent of Serhii’s injuries. However, we can all sympathize with his horrific experience and long and challenging journey to recovery.

With the care and skill of the CUSAP team and Serhii’s resilience and determination, Serhii has now taken his first steps since the injury.

Serhii upon arrival to CUSAP’s 3d mission in Spring 2023
Serhii at mission 4, Fall 2023

Serhii had two very complicated surgeries during the third mission and another two procedures during mission four performed by CUSAP‘s multidisciplinary team of surgeons. His right leg was saved. This is him now:

“Serhii is representative of the people of Ukraine. He has made a personal sacrifice for his community and country and indeed the global community of such magnitude we might only imagine. I am extremely lucky to have met him, and that he was willing to allow me and our team to help him through this process. For all that he’s done and been through I am in awe and feel privileged to have participated in his care. I look forward to watching him through his recovery and to meet again someday soon.“ – Dr. Graham, orthopedic surgeon from Winnipeg who led Serhii’s case.

Over the last decade, hundreds of volunteers and thousands of donors have been involved in the CUSAP initiative, impacting the lives of Ukrainian victims of war. We invite you to continue leaving your mark of hope by donating today to support CUSAP. Together, we can make a real difference, bring hope and healing through life-changing surgeries!

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CANADA UKRAINE SURGICAL AID PROGRAM – CUSAP ANNOUNCES ITS 5TH SURGICAL MISSION IN POLAND

The Canada Ukraine Surgical Aid Program (CUSAP), a project of the Canada-Ukraine foundation (CUF), is pleased to announce its 5th medical mission in Poland, taking place from April 19 to May 8.  

CUSAP is a nonprofit program. Its volunteers aim to provide comprehensive state-of-the-art multidisciplinary trauma care and post-trauma reconstruction to both civilian and military casualties of war in Ukraine and to support Ukrainian healthcare professionals through education in trauma reconstruction. Canada-Ukraine Foundation has funded this life-changing surgical assistance program since 2014. The upcoming April-May mission will mark the 12th mission supported by CUF (7 run in Ukraine before the full-scale invasion).

Over the last decade, hundreds of volunteers have been involved in the CUSAP initiative, impacting the lives of thousands of Ukrainian victims of war. CUSAP’s purpose is to provide patients sustainable, quality care with compassion and integrity.  

The April-May mission will have a team of 60 volunteers, including surgeons, anesthesiologists, ICU-intensive care physicians, internists, OR and ward nurses, physiotherapists, pharmacists, and support staff.  
The incoming trauma patients will receive complete assessment, including psychological, necessary scans, lab work, post-operative assessment, pharmaceutical medications, and referrals for psychological and physiological rehabilitation. CUSAP patients sustain some of the most severe injuries from the war and require complex reconstructive surgeries, including craniofacial, microsurgical, orthopaedic, and extremity procedures. The entire cost of care and treatment is funded by donations to the Canada-Ukraine Foundation / CUSAP.  

In addition, a team of biomedical engineers will be partnering to create necessary 3D custom models and implants to ensure the best results in reconstructive surgeries. The team will work side by side with Ukrainian surgeons and physicians, providing hands-on training and mentorship.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the donors for their unwavering support, which has made the missions possible. Your contributions are the lifeline that allows us to change lives one surgery at a time. We invite you to continue leaving your mark of hope by donating today to support CUSAP. Together, we can make a real difference!

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CUF-UCC UKRAINE HUMANITARIAN APPEAL AIDS THE “CITY OF GOODNESS”

“Every person is a story, and we try to ensure that every Ukrainian child’s story who we care for becomes a good story,” says Marta Levchenko, founder of the shelter and rehabilitation centre City of Goodness in Chernivtsi, Ukraine.

As a teenager, Marta Levchenko volunteered with Roma children in Zakarpattia region and with women who had experienced domestic violence. Years later, in 2018, her foundation established the City of Goodness to help mothers escaping domestic violence or living in poverty and unable to provide for their children. The shelter provides not only temporary accommodation for those women and their children but also professional psychotherapy, medical care, education, professional training and assists with finding employment, so that these women could get back on their feet and start their lives anew with their children. The mission of the shelter is to help women so that they could keep their children and be able to care for and raise them well.

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the City of Goodness has also opened its doors to the internally displaced from across Ukraine, including the territories occupied by the Russian Federation.

The Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal — a joint effort of the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF) and the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) — has recently provided a grant to the City of Goodness. The grant has helped provide shelter, food, and medicines to 400 people, including internally displaced women with children, the elderly, victims of domestic violence, and orphans from Odesa and Mykolaiv regions. The shelter has also taken in 35 homeless pets that have since become therapy animals to young residents of the City of Goodness.

Additionally, with the funds raised at a concert in Montreal for the City of Goodness, another grant was given to the shelter to help cover the construction of a centralized water and sewage system for their new building (hospice) as well as an elevator platform.

Sofia Yatsyuk, organizer of the fundraiser in Montreal, visiting the “City of Goodness”

The City of Goodness is a shelter and rehabilitation center that sets a high standard and is a role model for other regions of Ukraine to follow. Managers from the social sector come to learn about the shelter’s broad spectrum of services provided under “one roof,” The organization’s all-encompassing procedures and management style have made it a success story for so many.

Last year, the City of Goodness received a medical license and became a robust ecosystem, employing psychologists and rehabilitation specialists. “Little Domna, who is being raised by her grandmother, could not sit up on her own. Recently, she stood on her own for the first time,” says Levchenko proudly. “Thanks to the donors, we were able to buy a leg implant for Domna.”

For her significant achievements in the charitable sector, Marta Levchenko was included in the Ukrainian Pravda 100 Power of Women, dedicated to women who are saving Ukraine now. 

Marta Levchenko with the residents of the “City of Goodness”

Your donations to the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal support projects like the City of Goodness, they change lives of so many for the better, they provide safety, shelter and care – thank you!