the story: Gary and I have continued almost full time, since Feb, 28, 2022 to help Ukrainians both in Ukraine and refugees in other countries, especially Poland. Knowing that, friends of our daughter Laura, Todd Muchow and Carols Jones, who have been helping in Ukraine, asked if we could help a Ukrainian solider who was about to have both of his legs amputated as a result of major injuries. That solution was all the Ukrainian hospitals could offer. We wondered if maybe someplace else could save his legs? Gary immediately contacted Dr Sheeraz Qureshi at HSS in NYC, the #1 orthopedic hospital in the US, and asked if HSS could help avoid amputation. Without the slightest hesitation, Dr Qureshi said YES, HSS would help him with a series of surgeries AND cover ALL the costs and housing!! Hospital arrangements were orchestrated by Molly Bing at HSS, and coordinated with Dr Duretti Fufa AMAZING! After lots and lots of phone calls on Gary's part to everyone we could think of, he managed to get an emergency medical visa in place, and we were approved as sponsors, the Ukraine military gave their approval for him to leave.

After a 17 hour car ride they crossed the border and arrived in Warsaw at 2am Wednesday morning. Our friends at the Bristol Hotel offered a room at a discounted rate. Another Polish friend, Iga Jankowska offered to help by driving them to the airport. With the help of Ed Shapiro in Boston (Shapiro Foundation), who donated mileage points, we got them air tickets. We asked LOT Polish Airways if they would upgrade them, and they did, into Premium Coach so his legs would be elevated. Iga spoke with Lot to make the final arrangements, and they boarded their flight today! They arrived into JFK on Thursday 1/12/23. Irina Qureshi, who is an American Ukrainian offered to pick them up when they landed, but then made arrangements, through a Ukrainian relative in the US, for them to be picked up by an ambulatory vehicle to be transported to HSS in a safer manner, all at no charge! We also realized that Vlad needed a wheel chair to get himself around. Thanks to the generosity of Susan Ades, Debbie and Andy Zelenetz, Kristie Weatherford Berger and Israel Sanchez and the people at ComfyGo, Vlad is now outfitted with an electric wheelchair! So many people pitching in to help one person at a time.......

Ideally by spreading the story we can help raise more funds to help more Ukrainians get medical treatment. HSS has offered to take even more patients. We are also working with a hospital in Poland to do more locally as well, and an American group that are bringing Ukrainians to the US to fit them with prosthetics and give them rehab before they return to Ukraine, able to walk, and or use their arms! We hope to help open a facility in Ukraine to do this as well.

*If you would like to support our work helping Ukrainians please donate to www.gofundme.com/united4ukraine

*Please note: United4Ukraine is not the "name" of our organization, but it was the go-fund-me that we quickly put together at the very beginning of the war. We later found out that there was another organization established at the beginning of the war with the same intent and the same name. We are not affiliated with them.) We do collaborate with
Pollock-Molchanov Foundation which is a 501c3 (Attn: Ann Pollock, mention our name )
100% of money we collect goes directly to helping Ukrainians! We have boots on the ground, and we do our best to vet so that we avoid middlemen, scammers and black market resellers! We personally pay for all of our own expenses (hotel, travel, food, transportation, operating expenses and take no salaries.

Thank you, Ellen and Gary Wasserson, Penn Valley, Pa
www.gofundme.com/united4ukraine

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