Charity raising funds to help Ukrainian families with bleeding disorders
Families have been displaced to neighbouring countries in Europe
This World Haemophilia Day, The Haemophilia Society (THS), is showing its support to families in Ukraine who are suffering with bleeding disorders -including Haemophilia.
THS, who are based in South East London, is helping people get to safety and support them in directing them to get access to the care they need for their bleeding disorder.
Through their work with the Emergency Displacement Fund, it will help support National Member Organisations (NMO) in Europe who are dealing with the direct displacement of people with a bleeding disorder and their families from the armed conflict. A simple application process with rapid assessment has been established.
Kate Burt, chief executive at The Haemophilia society, said, “The UK Haemophilia Society is working with colleagues across Europe and European Haemophilia consortium to support the Emergency Displacement Fund which is supporting people with bleeding disorders and the families who are fleeing from the armed conflict in Ukraine.”
The funding is intended to help NMOs supply critical items for displaced people with bleeding disorders entering their country and coming under their care. For example, travel to a town/city with a haemophilia centre and provide initial accommodation if required (for maximum 14 days) while receiving bleeding disorder care.
It also includes a provision for communications with treatment centres (e.g. call charges, calling cards, power banks, etc) and non-prescription medicines (excluding factor or non-factor concentrates). It will also provide medical equipment (e.g., feminine hygiene products, crutches, mobility aids) and provision of psychosocial support for families. Finally, additional support deemed necessary by the NMO can be applied for with a justification.
Ms Burt continued, “The funding is available to help organisations in countries to supply critical items for displaced people with bleeding disorders to come to the UK and come under our care.”
The Haemophilia Society has been contacted by families whose relatives with bleeding disorders have arrived in the UK from Ukraine. One woman, whose name has been anonymised, wrote to the THS to share her experience and her condition after being displaced to Germany.
She said, “I am writing to you from Germany now after my escape from Ukraine. I am 25 years old and I have a severe form of Haemophilia A. I have found here medical help, accommodation and new friends. Germans as well as other Ukrainians and I want to let you know about this inspiring experience of me and 30 more Ukrainian children and adults, who came here to Germany in the last 2 weeks.
We are fully provided with food, medicines and household items. They also help us get through the complicated German bureaucratic registration procedures. I hope that in Germany I will be able to do my job again.”
She continued, “Next week we can start our language course and we Ukrainian patients are all invited for a party on Wednesday. A former Syrian refugee and his family, who was helped by the same organisation back in 2015/2016, will cook a welcome dinner for us and I am looking forward to hear more about their life and culture and their way from leaving their home in Syria to coming here into foreign German society.”
The fund is currently focused supporting those countries bordering Ukraine who have the largest refugee populations and other NMOs who are receiving people with bleeding disorders moving westward.
THS is the only UK-wide charity and free membership organisation for everyone affected by a bleeding disorder, has shown