Working Together Rotarians Raise Over $36,000 For Western Ukraine Burn Center
Posted by Sawyer, Sr., Thomas
on Oct 4, 2012
Words are just words and ideas are just ideas until someone turns them into reality and the wheels began to turn fast when Olga Zabolotina, RN and ADG Vera Cassi
nelli presented a great opportunity to the Milford Rotary Club last August. Cassinelli asked Milford to take the lead to work with Boston doctors and Shriner's to establish a burn clinic in Western Ukraine using matching grants from the Rotary Foundation. Cassinelli noted that the Lviv-Ratusha Rotary club in the Western Ukraine was willing to put up the first $1000 and coordinate the project. Milford Rotary quickly agreed to join the effort and the dream was alive
Over many months Cassinelli and others pursued their dream and convinced the Rotary Club’s of Franklin, Framingham, Southboro, and Hudson to partner with Milford and the Lviv-Ratusha Rotary Club.
Cassinelli, with help from PDG Ralph Hammond, filed a Grant application to have funds committed by these clubs, matched by the local Rotary District 7910 and then later doubled again by the Rotary International Foundation.
A key partner in the matching process was the significant amount of money donated to the project by the Ukrainian National Woman’s League of America based in New York under the presidency of Marianna Zajac.
When all was said and done, Rotary’s efforts raised $36, 559 to purchase a surgical microscope, pumps for intravenous infusions, a syringe pump and three vital signs monitors, as well as other related burn equipment for the overused and under equipped Burn Unit #8.
Every year about 2500 Ukrainians get burns of varying degrees and some 1400 of them are treated at Burn Center #8 where the new equipment was installed on June 14, 2012. Included in that number are 600 children of which 70% are treated at Burn Center #8. Because of the efforts and dreams of a few and the response from many, 11 doctors working at the Burn Center will be able to provide better and more appropriate care to alleviate or reduce patient suffering followed by intensive therapy.
Thanks to the efforts of Rotarians here and in the Western Ukraine, as well as advice and medical expertise provided to Rotarians by non-Rotarian MD Gennadily Fuzaylov from Massachusetts General Hospital, lives will be saved everyday. Dr. Fuzaylov is also on the staff at Harvard Medical School.
Lviv- Ratusha Rotary Club President Andriy Beyzyk, PHD, MD Ella Tymchak and MD Natalya Berezuk were responsible for the purchase of the new equipment, management of the project in the Western Ukraine and the installation of a memorial plaque in the front entrance of the Burn Unit thanking the Rotary Clubs for their efforts and concerns.
Cassinelli, with help from PDG Ralph Hammond, filed a Grant application to have funds committed by these clubs, matched by the local Rotary District 7910 and then later doubled again by the Rotary International Foundation.
A key partner in the matching process was the significant amount of money donated to the project by the Ukrainian National Woman’s League of America based in New York under the presidency of Marianna Zajac.
When all was said and done, Rotary’s efforts raised $36, 559 to purchase a surgical microscope, pumps for intravenous infusions, a syringe pump and three vital signs monitors, as well as other related burn equipment for the overused and under equipped Burn Unit #8.
Every year about 2500 Ukrainians get burns of varying degrees and some 1400 of them are treated at Burn Center #8 where the new equipment was installed on June 14, 2012. Included in that number are 600 children of which 70% are treated at Burn Center #8. Because of the efforts and dreams of a few and the response from many, 11 doctors working at the Burn Center will be able to provide better and more appropriate care to alleviate or reduce patient suffering followed by intensive therapy.
Thanks to the efforts of Rotarians here and in the Western Ukraine, as well as advice and medical expertise provided to Rotarians by non-Rotarian MD Gennadily Fuzaylov from Massachusetts General Hospital, lives will be saved everyday. Dr. Fuzaylov is also on the staff at Harvard Medical School.
Lviv- Ratusha Rotary Club President Andriy Beyzyk, PHD, MD Ella Tymchak and MD Natalya Berezuk were responsible for the purchase of the new equipment, management of the project in the Western Ukraine and the installation of a memorial plaque in the front entrance of the Burn Unit thanking the Rotary Clubs for their efforts and concerns.