Andriya's Insulin Pump

We've done it!!!!!

So going back a bit, I knew our ability to help would be stretched to the thinnest it's ever been if we shouldered the weight of this task.  That's why I opted first to reach out to orgs, and then to personal friends I knew who were involved in various communities or church groups.  By now we know those results.  No fault or blame here, it was a BIG task and I think everyone knew it.

That didn't stop Becca at "Spirit of Ukraine" though.  She threw the entire weight of her non-profit behind it and really got things moving.  First up were our fundraising efforts (this one included).  The sum of which would receive just over $230 in total (This does not include the $600 that Hannah from the Kyiv Independent's Discord Server just sent me last night, but that money will be added and sent to Andriya's family).  The real effort was Becca's constant networking.

A glucose monitor was found in the UK.  An org there had just loaded a bunch of boxes into their van destined for Ukraine and they knew that the glucose monitor was in one of them, as they could see it on their inventory.  Immediately before setting off they unloaded the van and dug through boxes until we were sent this picture:

"Would this work?"  They were asking.

HELL YEAH!!!!

Ok, so with that down and our fundraisers stalled, Becca set back to task and continued to reach out to various organizations that SHE thought could help with that insulin pump.  Remember this is about $1700 if purchased in Ukraine and it requires "pods" that need to be replaced every 10 days (or possibly two weeks).  Both are SUPER expensive for the family we're helping.

Becca searched and searched until someone in Australia responded.  

In Australia there is apparently a site that helps people who need medical devices like this.  Kind of like a med-craigslist, and a woman named "Jess" found an ad for the exact pump we needed, for sale for $100.  That day, we received this photo:

And just like that, the whole thing was coordinated.

I don't know if it was Jess or Becca who paid the cost and the shipping of the device, but I do know it's all been sent to Liza (Andriya's cousin) in Poland, and is ready to be driven in, and it came at ZERO cost to any of us.

The money in our account (just over $800 now, with Hannah's donation last night) is going to be sent to Liza as well, so she can give it to her family to help with the refillable pods the insulin pump requires.

and that, my friends, is how we got the picture below:

We have done it, we have succeeded in getting this little girl everything she needs to have a chance at a normal life with her diagnosis.  And what a way to celebrate Thanksgiving, everyone.  Thank you ALL for making this possible!

(Below is the original fundraiser)

Everyone, we'd like you to meet "Andriya".  Andriya is a 5-year-old girl who lives in Konotop, Ukraine.  She's a wonderful spirit who remains bright and cheerful, full of energy and curiosity, despite being diagnosed with diabetes. 

Andriya's recent diagnosis means she needs expensive medical devices, like an insulin pump and a glucose monitoring system, to lead a normal life in an environment that has been anything but.

At a cost of $1700 for the insulin pump alone, we though that providing for this girl was outside our abilities for us to take on ourselves.  Unfortunately, after a month of searching we have yet to find an organization who is able or willing to provide care for this little girl.  Thankfully though, this doesn't mean we're on our own:

After talking together, Becca at "Spirit of Ukraine" has taken the lead on this effort in an attempt to fund the purchase of Andriya's insulin pump, and we want to join in to do our part to help her out.  Together we know we can succeed.

Please help us help Andriya by donating towards the purchase of her medical equipment.  Any donations in excess of the $1700 required for the insulin pump will be put immediately towards the purchase of her glucose monitoring system.  Anything beyond that goes straight to Andriya and her family. 

As always: We take nothing from these donations for ourselves.

Thank you.