Donations and money needed by Devon group helping Ukraine
More support trips are being planned to help people in Uzhhorod
A husband and wife from Plymouth say they need donations of money, combat boots and sleeping bags to help people in Western Ukraine.
Earlier this year Tracey Halton, a Neonatal Sister at University Hospitals Plymouth travelled to the country with her husband - and they plan to continue supporting people in the country as part of the Plymouth Ukraine Medical Aid group known as PUMA which recently provided medical aid to a hospital in Uzhhorod.
Soon after PUMA was launched Olha Danko, Speciality Neonatal Doctor for Plymouth NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) from Ukraine, stepped in to help her home country.
She contacted a hospital in Uzhhorod in western Ukraine where she had trained, and it wasn’t long before more University Hospitals Plymouth staff offered support.
Tracey’s husband Dan Halton and friend Ali Piper were at the forefront of the PUMA’s first trips to Ukraine when the team met two Ukrainian women at the Slovakian border to drop-off medical supplies in April 2022.
During the next trips, supplies were donated directly to the hospital, but unfortunately, during the third trip Ali fell ill so could not continue to the journey to Ukraine. This is where Tracey selflessly stepped in at a moment’s notice.
Speaking about her experience, Tracey said: “What stood out to me was the solidarity and pride of the Ukrainian people; they were all helping each other through crisis and so welcoming and thankful for us just being there and showing our support.”
Husband and wife team Dan and Tracey took aid to treat wounded veterans and refugees at the specialist Respiratory Hospital. They also visited a local children’s hospital at the request of UHP Consultant Paediatrician DeTracey Halton, staff from Uzhhorod and babynise Ullmann, who also offered her support.
They experienced an air raid warning and were offered shelter: “It was a surreal experience, being sat in a shelter eating dinner normally and knowing you’re safe when someone else out there might not be.”
At the end of their ten-day trip, Dan and Tracey met Olena Mosiychuk in Prague. Olena is a military medic refugee who has also been volunteering to bring aid and medical relief to those in Ukraine. Olena’s sponsors have now set up a sister organisation alongside PUMA called ‘Lev Hearts’ to help continue giving medical aid to wounded children and refugees.
Reflecting on the experience, Tracey said: “The war is far from over, it’s getting worse and our help is still needed”.
To find out more about PUMA, visit their Facebook group, or donate via the Go Fund Me page.