information ukraine-project
Project goals
The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine has shocked all of us. Many Ukrainians had to flee their homeland and are now in one of the neighboring countries such as Poland or Hungary. At the same time, the situation for people in Ukraine is chaotic, comprehensive health care is not guaranteed. This is especially catastrophic for people with a chronic illnesses such as Cystic Fibrosis (CF), who depend on daily medication that is essential for survival. In addition, there are still people in active war zones who are unable to leave their homes and flee war and destruction and suffer from a lack of medications and equipment.
Atemspende e.V. thus leads a project together with the CF center in the University Clinic of Mainz (Germany) to ensure the sufficient supply of medicine and devices to CF patients in Ukraine. The medicine is bought in Germany and brought to Lviv over an established delivery infrastructure. The CF center in the Western Ukraine Specialized Children’s Medical Center in Lviv cooperates with the patient organization CF Ukraine in Kyiv to organize the further deliveries to all CF centers in Ukraine. The project is organized in close cooperation with Ukrainian doctors, who regulary compile lists of the medicinal needs of all Ukrainian CF patients for Atemspende. The number of CF patients in Ukraine is currently around 600, primarily children.
Working with the Ukrainian doctors, Atemspende e.V. has so far delivered more than 200.000€ in medicinal aid to CF patients in Ukraine and takes an essential role in the medicinal supply of all Ukrainian CF patients. The project is financed through private donations as well as over cooperations with other non-profit organizations, most notably the German CF organization Mukoviszidose e.V. and the German branch of Pharmacists without Borders, Apotheker ohne Grenzen e.V..
Responsible for the project are Dr. Krystyna Poplawska, senior physician of the CF center in Mainz and chairwoman of the association Atemspende e.V. and Mr. Niklas Vogel, member of the association and head of the web team of Atemspende e.V.. Atemspende e.V. is a registered non-profit with the German state and is thus obligated to follow strict rules regarding a charitable cause. Our entire Ukraine team works on a voluntary, non-payed basis, all donations to the Ukraine project thus directly flow into buying medicine for the Ukrainian patients.
The live blog below reports on the progress of the project.
Information about donations can be found here.
Please add „Ukraine“ as the message of your donation.
additional informationen
In addition to the medical care of people with CF who are still in Ukraine, the care of Ukrainians with CF who have fled is also very important to us. Therefore, we have compiled information for refugees on this page. If you have any questions about supporting refugees with CF, please feel free to contact us! We are happy to provide assistance.
The project needs continued support to ensure the supply of CF to the people in Ukraine. Therefore, we continue to appreciate every donation and every support!
Time-line ukraine projekt
24.02.2022: Russia launches an invasion against Ukraine
01.03.2022: Atemspende e.V. gets into contact with the polish CF foundation Matio to support in the delivery of medicine to Ukraine. A sufficient supply of life-saving medication is severely limited by the war.
03.03.2022: First call for donations by Atemspende e.V. to buy CF medicine for Ukraine
04.03.2022: Ordering the first set of medicine, including Pankreatic Enzymes, Vitamins, Liver medication and Anti-Biotics
08.03.2022: Delivery of most of the ordered medication to Mainz, including two stationary oxygen devices donated by Oxycare
09.03.2022: Less than a week after the first call for donations, the total sum of donations surpasses 50.000€
10.03.2022: Delivery of the rest of the medicne two Mainz, including three pallets of inhalation equipment. The total volume of the planned delivery contains five pallets of CF medication and devices.
10.03.2022: The oranisation Nicht reden, machen! agrees to support in the delivery of all cargo to the Ukrainian border
11.03.2022: Two members of Nicht reden, machen! deliver the medicine to a contact in Poland, 40km from the Ukrainian border
11.03.2022: Mr Vogel and Dr. Poplawska head of to Poland to receive the medications and supervise the delivery over the border
12.03.2022: Mr Vogel und Dr. Poplawska deliver the medicines to the Ukrainian border, supported by members of Matio and Mukohelp in Jaroslaw, Poland. The medicine is brought into no-mans-land between Polish and Ukrainian border, where the medicine is directly handed over to two Ukrainian drivers that bring the medicine to Lviv in western Ukraine.
13.03.2022: The mediciation arrives in Lviv and is immediatly re-packaged by doctors in the Children Hospital of Lviv to deliver the medicine to further parts of Ukraine.
13.03.2022: Mr Vogel und Dr. Poplawska meet the president of Matio to coordinate the continuance of the project over the next weeks and months. Additionally, they meet Anastasiia in the hosptial in Cracow to discuss and plan here continued journey to Germany
15.03.2022: The total sum of donations surpasses 70.000€
15.03.2022: The first Ukrainian patients receive the medicine, they send us pictures from the entirety of Ukraine. The first delivery is thus finished.
18.03.2022: Anastasiia arrives together with her mother in Frankfurt. She will live with a host family in Dolgesheim.
18.03.2022: The doctors in Lviv inform us about a urgent need of anti-biotics, thus the planning of the second delivery starts immediatly
19.03.2022: Due to the urgency, we decide to immediatly buy the medicine and send it to Poland where Mukohelp will again take care of bringing the medicine into Ukraine.
22.03.2022: The first patients receive the medicine of the second delivery and send us pictures of the medications. Since the need for medicine is still high, we immediatly start planning of a third delivery.
24.03.2022: The first medicine and devices for the third delivery have been ordered and arrive in Mainz. The Ukrainian doctors requested a high amount of portable oxygen devices to allow patients in active warzones to flee their home, even with a strongly impacted lung function. Securing financing for the expensive devices slightly delays the delivery slightly.
05.04.2022: The last medications and devices are financed and arrive in Mainz. The delivery will contain 10 mobile oxygen devices. The cargo is packaged and labeled by members of Atemspende in Mainz.
07.04.2022: The transport heads of towards Poland, Kai and Georg of Mainzer Mobilität deliver the goods to Mukohelp in Jaroslaw
08.04.2022: The transport arrives in Jaroslaw in early morning. Due to the urgent need for the contained oxygen device, Mukohelp organizes immediate delivery to Ukraine; the delivery arrives in Lviv already the same evening.
13.04.2022: We receive pictures from patients in Ukraine that received the oxygen devices, some of them are now finally able to leave Ukraine into a safer country.
16.04.2022: The total sum of donations surpasses 100.000€
22.04.2022: The „SWR“ sends a TV report about Atemspende e.V. and Anastasiia
26.04.2022: Planing for the fourth delivery starts. The basic supply is currently ensured thanks to the great international support, which gives us a bit more time for planning.
01.05.2022: We request a current list of required medications from the doctors in Ukraine
02.05.2022: Mukoviszidose e.V. and Pari agree to support our next delivery, increasing the available budget
18.05.2022: The final list of required medications is compiled and the medications are ordered
22.05.2022: Nicht reden, machen e.V. agrees to support in the delivery of medicine.
03.06.2022: The last ordered medications arrive in Mainz
08.06.2022: Medications for the fourth delivery are labeled and packaged
09.06.2022: Wolfang heads of towards Ukraine to deliver the medications directly to Lviv with his private car
11.06.2022: Wolfang arrives in Lviv
20.06.2022: CF-Ukraine directly requests medications for certain Ukrainian patients
25.06.2022: The first medication for the fifth delivery are ordered
05.07.2022: Medications arrive in Mainz
06.07.2022: Medications are packaged and labled
06.07.2022: Atemspende iniates the first coordination meeting with all leading CF doctors of Ukraine, including doctors from, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Odessa, Dnipro, Zaparkpatya, Zaporigya und Kropyvnystkii. We also invite a member of CF-Europe to improve our cooperation over the next months
13.07.2022: Medications are directly livered to an airport at the border of Ukraine by Ukraine Air-Rescue, the medications are then transported in cars to Lviv by partners of nicht reden, machen! e.V.
13.07.2022: The medications arrive in Lviv, the delivery was successfull
03.08.2022: After a special request, we deliver two dedicated oxygen devices to a child and a young adult in Ukraine to enable their travels out of Ukraine
16.08.2022: Atemspende initiates the Ukraine-CF-Taskforce to improve coordination between organisations and ensure a stable long term supply of Ukraine
25.08.2022: The leading CF doctors of Ukraine compile a list of all medicine and supplies they need for the coming three months. This list for all 600 patients that live in Ukraine will be the basis for our next delivery
07.09.2022: Pharmacists without Borders agree to support our project with a donation of 25.000€, which will cover more than half of the cost for the 3 month supply
08.09.2022: Mukoviszidose e.V. agrees to cover the rest of the cost
20.09.2022: The medicine for the sixth delivery is ordered
06.10.2022: All of the medicine for the delivery arrvived in Mainz and is labaled and packaged for the delivery to Ukraine
08.10.2022: The medicine is brought directly to Lviv by our driver Wolfang
20.10.2022: After some complications due to airstrikes in Ukraine, the medicine finally arrives in the hospitals distributed over Ukraine
Live-blog
packing the sixth delivery (06.10.)
The time has come, our 6th aid delivery is on its way to Ukraine. A very special moment for all of us because it is our first proactive delivery; we are not only delivering what is immediately needed acutely, but also securing supplies for all 600 Ukrainian patients for the next 3 months. The total cost of the medicines adds up to about 40.000€, 444.4kg load. Enough to provide the 600 patients with antibiotics for 3 months.
We would like to say a huge thank you to @mukoinfo and @apothekerohnegrenzen, who together bear a large part of the costs! Without the work of these associations, this delivery would not have been possible. And of course a big thank you to our driver Wolfang.
The next delivery for another 3 months is already being planned.
Support by pharmacists without borders (07.09.)
Spendings on medicine (01.09.)
The great motivation of our supporters enables us to provide extensive aid to Ukraine.
Transparency in the use of donations is of great importance to us. Our association works entirely on a voluntary basis, so all the money donated goes directly into the projects.
For outsiders, the cost for medicine is often abstract and difficult to grasp. Therefore, we would like to publish a list of our expenses for the project so far.
März 2022 – Total Spendings 43.368€
Pankreasenzyme, Vitamine (Donated)
PARI BOY Classic Inhalationssystems, PARI BOY Classic Year Pack, VELOX Junior, MucoClear 6%Pari NaCl Inhalationslösung, PARi O-PEP, Easyflow Sauerstoffgerät (Donated)
Tobrazid Infecto, Novorapid Penfill, Meropenem, Levemir, Penfill, Lantus, Ceftazidim
Ceftazidim, Meropenem, Itraconazol, Piperacillin, Linezolid, Ursofalk
Ursofalk, Ceftazidim, Meropenem, Piperazillin, Sempera
Ciprobay, Ursofalk
Cefaclor, Cirpro, Amoxicillin, L-Thyroxin
Tobramycin, Meropenem, Ceftazidim, Amikacin, Cefaclor, Amoxicillin
SimplyGo Mini (Level 1-5) Portable Oxygen Concentrator, Akku
Inhalationsgeräte (Donated)
April 2022 – Total Spendings 18.409€
SimplyGo Mini (Stufe 1-5) Portable Oxygen Concentrator, Akku
Posaconazol, Konakion
Formitel
Mai 2022 – Total Spendings 23.457€
Tobrazid, Colistiflex, Ceftazidim, Meropenem, Azithromycin, ACC, Esomeprazol, Berodual, Salbuhexal, Spiolto, MometaHexal
Symbicort, Itraconazol, Meropenem, Zavicefta, FS Libre 2 Sensor
Juni 2022 – Total Spendings 5530€
SimplyGo Mini (Stufe 1-5) Portable Oxygen Concentrator
Juli 2022 – Total Spendings 4614€
Portable Liquid Oxygen Tank (Donated)
SimplyGo Mini (Stufe 1-5) Portable Oxygen Concentrator (Donated)
Azithromycin, Ciprobay, Amoxicillin, Levofloxacin, Doxyhexal, Cotrim, Clarithromycin
Pari O-Prep, Pari Inhalationsmasken, Pari Mundstücke, Inhalationslösung NaCl 6% (Donated)
Project update (30.08.)
Since the beginning of the war, we have been responding to acute shortages of CF medicine in Ukraine in our Ukraine project, providing short-term supplies in response to requests from Ukrainian doctors.
Now we would like to take the next step in the supply: To proactively prevent medical shortages from the outset.
For this purpose, we have started a cooperation with CF Europe and the leading Ukrainian CF doctors; together we are working on an infrastructure for the long-term supply of Ukraine.
Thanks to the great work of the Ukrainian CF doctors, we already have a list with all the medicine that is needed for the supply of all Ukrainian CF patients in the next 3 months.
So now we are working together with our European partners to get all the needed supplies and bring them to Ukraine.
We are very happy that we are supported by @apothekerohnegrenzen, which is helping us financially and with donations.
Oxygen device for ukrainian child (03.08.)
Last week, a Ukrainian mother asked us for an oxygen device for her 8 year old son with CF, so that they can travel from a hospital in southern Ukraine to Germany. A gigantic thank you to @nichtreden.machen who not only bought the device for the child but also organized the transport to Lviv together with @ukraineairrescue! Special thanks to Thomas and Jonas and the whole team!
Oxygen device for ukrainian teenager (25.07.)
Giving breath (Atemspende) has been our declared goal since the foundation of our association, with the Ukraine project this motto now becomes a literal reality. The mobile oxygen device from our last delivery has reached Dimy, who sent us this photo. Thanks to the device he can move freely again and take walks in nature; a privilege that many of us take for granted. We are very happy that we were able to help Dimy get some normalcy back into his life and are grateful to all the people who made this possible. Especially a big thank you to Felix who donated this device.
Arrival delivery 5 (13.07.)
With the arrival of the packages at Halyna in Lviv, the 5th delivery is completed. Thank you to all donors! And a very special thank you to @ukraineairrescue for the delivery to Poland, Viktor for the onward transport to Lviv, Felix for the donation of the oxygen equipment and Jonas and the whole team of @nichtreden.machen for the financial and organizational support.
transport 5. Delivery (12.07.)
For our 5th delivery, we are flying high. The medicines will fly to the Ukrainian border tomorrow with pilots from @ukraineairrescue and will then be delivered to Lviv. In addition to a variety of antibiotics, the shipment also includes two donated oxygen machines! A huge thank you to Felix for donating the equipment and to the whole team of @nichtreden.machen for organizing the delivery and financially supporting the purchase of the medicines!
meeting with ukrainian doctors (06.07.)
For our association, direct and targeted aid for Ukraine is enormously important. Therefore, we organized a video conference for this evening, in which we could speak directly with the Ukrainian CF doctors, to whom a large part of our supplies flow and who are jointly responsible for hundreds of Ukrainian patients. In addition, we invited Lidia from CF-Europe; she is the head of the association’s Ukraine project and supports aid deliveries from all over Europe.
In a two-hour meeting we discussed the current need for CF medicine in Ukraine and will accordingly expand our delivery next week to include the acute need.
In addition, we were able to plan the supply over the next months with the Ukrainian doctors and Lidia. For this purpose we will work together on an optimized concept for the European coordination of the aid deliveries and will enter into an even stronger exchange in the future. Halina will also compile a list of the basic medical needs of all people with CF in Ukraine, with the help of which we can better coordinate the European aid deliveries in cooperation with CF Europe.
We thank you very much for the opportunity to talk personally with Lidia and the female doctors in Ukraine and to have such an informative and exciting conversation!
packing 5. delivery (06.07.)
Part of our 5th delivery is packed! The fact that our delivery has been postponed to next week gives us the opportunity to buy more medicine. So probably a few more boxes will be added. With this delivery we can cover, among other things, a large part of the current need for oral antibiotics for people with CF in Ukraine!
start 5. delivery(05.07.)
And off we go! Arrival of the first product of our delivery; a mobile oxygen tank that can supply a Ukrainian:in with oxygen for 11 hours at a stretch before it has to be refilled! A donation that can save lives; many thanks to Mr. Vetter for the device!
Most of the remaining medicines in the shipment will be packed by us tomorrow and are expected to be on their way to Ukraine next week. This time via a very special transport route, organized by @nichtreden.machen
More information about the exact content of the delivery and the special transport route will come in the next days! Die meisten restlichen Medikamente der Lieferung werden morgen von uns gepackt und gehen voraussichtlich nächste Woche auf die Reise Richtung Ukraine. Dieses mal über einen ganz besonderen Transportweg, organisiert von @nichtreden.machen
Weitere Infos über den genauen Inhalt der Lieferung und den besonderen Transportweg kommen in den nächsten Tagen!
photo of patient (29.06.)
We are happy to be able to show you another photo from Ukraine. The picture shows a young CF patient living in an orphanage in Western Ukraine. The delivered IV antibiotics will help the young girl to fight against the bacteria in her lungs.
meeting with halyna (12.06.)
After months of only being able to have digital contact with each other, it finally happened this weekend. Our chairwoman Dr. Krystyna Poplawska was able to meet Halyna from Lviv, the CF doctor who requests, receives and forwards all our transports to Ukraine, at the European CF Conference in Rotterdam. During a dinner together, Krystyna and Halyna were able to exchange information about the current situation in Ukraine, the progress of the project so far and the further plans for the future. She also invited us to visit her in Lviv.
Of course, we will accept this offer as soon as the situation in Ukraine allows it and take you all with us on the trip! We are looking forward to it!
arrival in lviv (11.06.)
All packages have arrived safely in Lviv! Halyna and her colleagues will continue to pack the packages and send them to patients all over Ukraine. Thanks to Wolfang and Christian for the safe transport of the cargo!
With this, the fourth delivery is completed, the planning of the fifth delivery will probably start in the next weeks, in case of acute need of certain medicines, of course, earlier.
We thank all the people who made this delivery possible and we are looking forward to the next delivery!
heading of towards lviv (09.06.)
The medicines are loaded into Wolfgang’s car; he has picked up the medicines from the hall of @nichtreden.machen in Bodenheim. Tomorrow he will start his journey directly to Lviv. There he will meet Halyna and will hand over the medicines.
transfer of medicine (09.06.)
On Saturday he will deliver the medicine to our contact person Halayna in Lviv, who will organize the further distribution to the rest of Ukraine as usual.
We are looking forward to showing you pictures of Ukrainian patients as soon as the life-saving medicine has arrived!
Many thanks to all involved!
labeling the packets (08.06.)
The delivery contains besides 2 oxygen devices also reserve antibiotics and inhalation devices with accessories. The total value of this delivery is about 26.000€! The main part of the amount is for the anti-biotic Zavicefta (12.000€) and the two oxygen devices (6.000€).
The relief goods will be brought directly to Lviv by a driver on Friday!
A big thank you to @mukoinfo for the donation of the oxygen equipment, to Pari Germany for the donation of inhalation equipment and accessories, to Jonas from @nichtreden.machen for organizing a transport at short notice and to our driver Wolfgang. In addition, of course, a huge thank you to all donors who have made this aid delivery possible!
donation wörrstädter teeladen (28.05.)
A big thank you to Teeladen Wörrstadt for their fundraiser! Through the sale of cards and tea 400€ were collected for our Ukraine project, from which we will buy more CF medicine for Ukraine!
Many thanks to the whole team of the tea store and to Verena for the great idea!
report for oxygen devices (28.05.)
Via Telegram, we are in constant exchange with our contacts in Ukraine. In addition to planning deliveries, we also receive feedback on the arrival and use of our aid deliveries in Ukraine. A few days ago, we received a document with the list of all patients who received one of our mobile oxygen units. These 9 patients can be seen in the photos! We are grateful to all the people who made this help possible!
painting by ukrainian patient (20.05.)
This beautiful picture was painted by a young Ukrainian CF patient for us, for Jonas from @nichtreden.machen and the journalist Christoph Brumme! Together Jonas, Christoph and Niklas were able to organize the delivery of CF medication to the young girl in Eastern Ukraine!
Thanks to Jonas and Christoph for their support with the delivery and of course to Alexandrovna for painting the picture!
plan fourth delivery (10.05.)
Even though news about the war in Ukraine is now part of everyday life for most of us, for people with CF in many parts of Ukraine it is anything but everyday life; they have to fight daily for their survival and for an adequate supply of medicines.
Therefore, a continuous and determined continuation of the Ukraine project is essential for us in order to continue to provide CF patients in Ukraine with vital medication.
For this purpose, we are currently planning our fourth delivery. It will mainly contain IV antibiotics, but also inhalers and other CF medications.
We are very pleased that the Mukoviszidose e.V. @mukoinfo as well as the company Pari have already promised immediate support for our next delivery and will support us financially or materially through donations.
Additionally, the drivers of our last deliveries Kai and Georg have promised their help again! They will deliver the relief supplies on their next trip to Poland probably on 25.5. again at Mrs. Bartnik. A big thank you for that!
We would also like to appeal to all supporters of Atemspende e.V. for donations.
An end of the war in Ukraine is unfortunately not in sight, nevertheless the supply of the patients in Ukraine with the expensive medicines must be ensured furthermore.
Therefore we are urgently dependent on further donations!
In addition, we are always looking for organizational support in refugee aid in Germany, especially in finding housing for refugee families with CF.
If you are interested in helping, please contact us1
tv feature swr (22.04.)
On 21.04. the film about Anastasia’s escape and Atemspende e.V. was broadcast on SWR at 20:15. The film describes Anastasia’s arrival in Germany, which we were instrumental in organizing, shows moving pictures from Ukraine and also briefly describes our Ukraine project. We would like to thank again Jürgen Schmitt from SWR, who made this great contribution and told the story of Anastasiia really moving. We have added English subtitles to the video, the original video can be viewed in the ARD Mediathek. Mr. Schmitt has also written an exciting article about the film, which can be read here.
radio feature antenne mainz (16.04.)
We are very happy that the Mainz radio station Antenne Mainz made a short feature about our Ukraine project to help with fundraising! In their „Morning Show“ they interviewed our board member Dr. Tim Theobald.
The contribution was broadcasted on 11.04.
Der Beitrag kann hier herunter geladen werden
arrival oxygen device (15.04.)
In this post we would like to show you once again that your donations actually reach CF patients in Ukraine.
The first video shows @celina__pr from Atemspende e.V. packing a mobile oxygen device for our second aid delivery to Ukraine. The second photo is taken a few days later in Ukraine; Anastasiia from Lviv gets enough air again through this very mobile oxygen device to be able to move more freely and thus to seek shelter quickly even in case of an air raid alert. An essential and life-saving possibility, which is not self-evident for many people with CF in Ukraine.
The help for Anastasiia and many other Ukrainians with CF was only made possible by the large number of your donations. In order to be able to continue to support the people in Ukraine, we are urgently dependent on further donations! You can find the donation account on our website atemspende.de
more pictures from ukraine (13.04.)
We are very happy that we receive more and more pictures from Ukraine, where we can see the use of our medicines!
The oxygen equipment, the inhalation equipment, the antibiotics, all these drugs help to improve the lives of cystic fibrosis patients in Ukraine or even to save them!
video recording swr (13.04.)
Besides organizing the aid deliveries, public relations is also enormously important for our Ukraine project to inform more people about the situation of CF patients and to collect more donations! Therefore we are very happy that @j.schmi from SWR is doing a report about the project and the arrival of Anastasia in Germany! For this purpose we did interviews with him and his team today about our association and the project. We had a lot of fun and are very happy about this opportunity to reach more people! We will inform you about the exact time of the broadcast!
arrival in lviv (08.04.)
The medicines have arrived in Lviv! Due to the urgency of the medicine delivery, Mrs. Bartnik initiated the onward transport to Lviv directly after the arrival of the relief supplies in Poland. Thus, the medicines and equipment reached Lviv on the same day! They are currently being sorted and repacked so that they can reach the patients in the shortest possible time!
The delivery includes 9 mobile oxygen devices, 14 mobile inhalers, 6 stationary inhalers and various intravenous antibiotics. As with the first aid delivery, we have purchased the medicines and equipment in close consultation with the doctors in Ukraine, so that we can help the patients in Ukraine in the best possible way!
Especially the mobile oxygen equipment is essential to evacuate more people with CF from the active war zone.
A big thank you to all donors who made this large number of oxygen equipment and medicines possible!
intermediate stop: Poland (08.04.)
The delivery has arrived safely in Yaroslav! An immediate onward transport is organized by Mrs. Bartnik, so that the important relief supplies reach the CF patients in Ukraine as quickly as possible. As with our first delivery, the relief supplies are picked up at the Polish-Ukrainian border by Ukrainian drivers and brought to Lviv. There, the Ukrainian CF doctor sorts the medicines and prepares smaller packages for further transport to patients all over Ukraine.
start second delivery (07.04.)
The second shipment of relief goods started yesterday to Poland to Mrs. Bartnik! Thanks to the great willingness to donate, our second shipment contains medicine and equipment worth over 40,000 Euros!!!! The exact contents of the shipment will follow in the next post.
We would like to thank very much the drivers who bring our delivery to Poland: Kai and Georg from Mainzer Mobilität are transporting not only our relief goods but also other materials to Poland and will bring a lot of refugees to Germany in the coach! Thank you very much for the great action and the support!
final preperations thirddelivery (05.04.)
We are very happy that the preparations for the third delivery are almost finished! Thanks to the great willingness to donate, the value of our second delivery is expected to exceed even the expenses for the first delivery! We will inform about the exact content here in the coming days, as soon as all ordered medicines and devices have arrived. The delivery will contain inhalation devices, antibiotics and infusion medications as well as several urgently needed mobile oxygen devices!!!
The relief supplies will again be brought by a private person to Munina to Mrs. Bartnik on Thursday. More details on this in the next few days as well!
Once again a big thank you to all donors who made this second delivery possible!
arrival of packet in lviv (30.03.)
The package with the urgently needed emergency antibiotics arrived safely in Lviv! The medicines are again packed by our contact person into smaller packages and delivered to CF:patients all over Ukraine! The shipment also includes reserve antibiotics that allow treatment of multi-resistant bacterial infections. These are much more common in Ukraine than in Germany due to the poor health care and can have severe consequences for the patients if left untreated.
interview monika bartnik (27.03.)
In Poland, aid for people with CF is mainly provided by local associations, including Mukohelp, an association founded by Mrs. Monika Bartnik.
With the beginning of the war, Mrs. Bartnik has built up an aid network for the delivery of relief goods to Ukraine in a very short time. For this purpose, she runs a warehouse where she receives and temporarily stores relief supplies for Ukrainian CF patients from all over Europe. At regular intervals, it organizes the delivery of these relief supplies across the border, to Ukraine.
The first delivery of medicines from Atemspende e.V. was also temporarily stored by Mrs. Bartnik in this warehouse and brought to Lviv the next day by a transport organized by her.
While accompanying our first delivery, Ms. Poplawska and Mr. Vogel were able to meet Ms. Bartnik on March 13 and interview her about the current situation.
We provide the interview here in a German and English translation.
The original recording of the interview in Polish can also be downloaded here.
progress second delivery (24.03.)
The planning of the second delivery continues to take shape. The first large order of drugs has already reached us! In particular, it contains infusion drugs. In addition, the second shipment is expected to include more equipment, including at least three mobile oxygen units and mobile inhalers.
Transportation planning is also progressing. We are currently reviewing several option and will provide another update once the formalities and scope of the second large shipment is clarified!
donation frauenlob-gymnasium (24.03.)
The Frauenlobgymnasium Mainz held a fundraising event today to set an example for peace. The students and teachers collected donations through a cake sale and the sale of peace lights. Half of the donations will be donated to our association Atemspende e.V.. We are very happy about the commitment of the students and teachers and thank them for the great donation!
arrival of additioanl medicine medikamente (22.03.)
This video reached us today from Ukraine! The medicines from Atemspende e.V. and other aid organizations from all over Europe are reaching more and more patients in Ukraine! We are very happy about this and continue to work to help people with CF in Ukraine!
oxygen devices (22.03.)
We are very happy that also many aid projects for CF Patient:in Ukraine take place independently from Atemspende e.V.! Mr. Guido Thökins together with his fellow drivers also organized a delivery of relief goods and brought them to Mrs. Bartnik in Poland! The relief supplies, including five mobile oxygen machines, medical supplies and wheelchairs are urgently needed and will help tremendously!
On the way back from Poland they took a family of three and a mother with her disabled son to Germany!
Finally, they donated a large sum of collected funds to the Ukraine project of Atemspende e.V.!
We thank Mr. Thösinks and his fellow drivers for the support of Ukrainians with CF!
medicine by mail (19.03.)
While we are planning the second delivery to Ukraine, the need of the local people is still very great. Therefore, we decided to send a package with the most necessary requested medicines on the way immediately.
The medicines will be received again by Mrs. Bartnik in Poland and then further brought to Ukraine. The delivery includes mainly urgently needed emergency antibiotics as well as liver medications.
arrival of anastasia (18.03.)
Anastasia arrived today together with her mother at Frankfurt airport. There she was welcomed by some Atemspende e.V. members!
Traditionally, we gave them bread and salt as a welcome gift.
Mrs. and Mr. Poplawska then drove Anastasia and her mother to their accommodation near Alzey. There they were given an apartment by a local couple where they can live for the time being.
A big thank you to Matio for organizing the flight and to their future hosts!
plan for second delivery (15.03.)
After the first delivery arrived well in Ukraine, we have already started planning the second delivery. This evening, Mrs. Poplawska spoke on the phone with our contact person in Lviv and discussed the further need for medication. Currently, more emergency antibiotics in oral form and as infusion medication are needed.
Therefore, we are already planning the second delivery of medicines to the Ukrainian border. Our current plan is that we will send the medicines again to Mrs. Bartnik and she will organize the further transport to Ukraine. How the delivery will be carried out and whether someone from Atemspende e.V. will accompany / carry out the delivery is still being planned. In any case, we are very grateful that we have such reliable local contacts who can support us in the planning and receive the medicines.
arrival of first medicine (15.03.)
We are very happy that the first medicines have arrived at the patients in Ukraine! The photos show two Ukrainian children with CF, who have received a part of the medication of our first delivery and whose supply is thus ensured for the next weeks! This is an important first step, but to maintain the supply for the two children and all other people in Ukraine with CF will remain a great challenge!
situation in poland (15.03.)
At this point, we would also like to briefly discuss the general situation in Poland. People in Poland are showing a great willingness to help, Ukrainian flags can be seen in many places, information is posted in Polish and Ukrainian, and the situation in Ukraine is constantly reported on TV. On the Polish highways, you can see a large number of vehicles packed to the top with aid supplies and heading towards the border. According to our impression, the supply of the refugees works very well despite the precarious situation on the ground, the people in Poland help with a naturalness and dedication that really impressed us. Thank you to the helpers in Ukraine, Poland and the rest of the EU!
visit of polish orphanage (14.03.)
The next stop of our trip is a visit to a Polish orphanage, where many Ukrainian children, who had to flee without parents, are accommodated. Ms. Poplawska spoke with the director of the orphanage and talked about support possibilities. The orphanage is especially in need of equipment that can help translate from Ukrainian to Polish. In addition, the purchase of new equipment for the playground of the orphanage would be necessary, because the current equipment is still from the Soviet era and the children sometimes have too little space to play.
Since Atemspende e.V. focuses mainly on people with lung diseases, we unfortunately cannot provide financial support ourselves, but we will look for an association that can take on the project.
support for cf patient (13.03.)
In Krakau konnten wir auch Anastasia treffen, die mit ihrer Mutter aus der Ukraine geflohen ist und jetzt stationär im Krankenhaus in Krakau behandelt wird.
Wir haben mit ihr über ihren Gesundheitszustand und ihre Weiterreise nach Deutschland gesprochen, die voraussichtlich bereits diesen Donnerstag stattfinden kann! Der Verein Matio wird ihr ein Flugticket bezahlen, mit dem sie von Krakau nach Frankfurt fliegt. Hier wird sie am Flughafen abgeholt und zusammen mit ihrer Mutter bei einer Familie in der Nähe von Alzey aufgenommen. Ihre gesundheitliche Versorgung wird Frau Poplawska mit der Mainzer Mukoviszidose Ambulanz übernehmen.
visiting matio (13.03.)
Our biggest help on site is the Polish cystic fibrosis association Matio. Without the great help of Matio, the project would not have been possible in this form. The association is based in Krakow, where we were able to meet the chairman Pablo as well as the vice chairman Pshemek.
The association not only coordinates the delivery of aid to Ukraine, but also significantly controls the supply and distribution of refugee Ukrainians with CF in Poland.
In cooperation with contacts in Ukraine, the association compiles lists of needed medicines and the locations of patients in Ukraine. They also compiled the list of medicines that we procured.
Matio takes over the initial care of refugees with CF in many places, organizes their accommodation and health care in Poland and coordinates their onward travel to other European countries. The initial provision of medication to refugees is enormously important for people with CF because they depend on daily administration of medication. Many also require inpatient hospital treatment, which Matio also helps coordinate.
We also talked about the onward journey of patients to Germany. In the next days and weeks Atemspende e.V. will help to ensure that as many people with CF from Poland as possible can travel on to Germany to receive safe accommodation and good health care in one of the German CF centers.
We really want to thank Pablo, Pshemek and the whole team of Matio, who are doing a great and essential work for people with CF!
meeting monika bartnik (13.03.)
Mrs. Monika Bartnik, together with her association Mukohelp, is instrumental in organizing the aid deliveries for CF patients in Ukraine. She receives deliveries of medicines from all over Europe and organizes together with Matio the further transport to Ukraine. During our meeting she told us that there is still a need for many medicines in Ukraine, but that our delivery will already help many people. We conducted a short interview with her, which we will translate into German and upload in the days after our return to Germany.
She will also serve as our contact person on site in the future and support us with the next deliveries!
arrival of medicine in Lviv (13.03.)
The medicines have arrived safely in Lviv! They are now unpacked, sorted, partly repacked and prepared for further transport to the patients. Unfortunately, transport to many areas of Ukraine is difficult because of the war, but the local people are doing everything they can to get the medicines to where they are needed as quickly as possible.
Transport to Ukraine (12.03.)
The onward transport of the medicines to Ukraine takes place in several steps. First, employees from the Polish CF company Matio, led by Vice Chairman Pshemek Marshalek, bring the medicines from Mrs. Bartnik’s warehouse to a Polish-Ukrainian border crossing. There we join them and together we pass the border crossing. In the area between the borders, two Ukrainian drivers are waiting for us with a truck. Together we load the medicines and equipment into the truck, which immediately sets off for Lviv in Ukraine. There, the medicines are received and sorted by our contact person, a Ukrainian doctor. Then she coordinates the deliveries of the medicines from Lviv to the CF patients all over Ukraine.
arrival in poland (11.03.)
Around 7 p.m. Bernd and Ute arrive in Poland. They are met by local staff and together they unload the medicines and equipment. We can’t thank Bernd and Ute enough for taking on this long journey of 16 hours each way to get the medicines to where they are needed! You are just great people!
The medicines are now safely stowed in the warehouse awaiting their onward transport to Ukraine tomorrow.
start in mainz (11.03.)
Mrs. Poplawska and Mr. Vogel leave for Poland around noon. They will transport the two oxygen devices and the medicines to be cooled directly to Poland in the car. They will be accompanied by Mrs. Poplawska’s husband, Mr. Poplawski. The first stop will be at the Czech border, from where we will continue our journey to the Ukrainian border after an overnight stay the next morning.
While the car is loaded and our three drivers are on their way to Poland, Bernd and Ute have already made a good part of the way.
loading the medicine (10.03.)
In the evening Bernd, who will bring the medicines to Poland for us, comes to the warehouse and the transporter is loaded with the five pallets. Bernd together with a fellow driver, Ute, will leave tomorrow morning at 3 o’clock in the direction of Poland. They will bring the medicines to Jaroslaw to our contact person, Mrs. Monika Bartnik. She will receive the medicines and store them on site until Mrs. Poplawska and Mr. Vogel arrive on Saturday to coordinate the further distribution to Ukraine.
sorting and labeling the medicine (10.03.)
The amount of relief supplies we were able to get together for the first shipment is really great! Five euro pallets of medicine and equipment will be on their way to Poland tomorrow! For this, all boxes have to be sorted, labeled and stacked. We label each box with the address of our contact person in Poland to make sure everything arrives safely. In total, there are over 70 boxes of aid on the Euro pallets! don’t talk, do! not only provide us with the warehouse, they have actually organized two drivers:inside who will exclusively drive the medicines for us directly to Mrs. Bartnik at the Ukrainian border!
support from nicht reden, machen! (10.03.)
Due to the huge willingness to donate, we were able to procure a very large amount of medicines already for the first delivery! In addition, we have received the large donations from Oxycare and Pari! This meant that our original plan to bring all the medicines to Ukraine ourselves by car had to be revised at short notice. To our great luck there are other great associations in Mainz, which immediately offered us spontaneous help! The association „Don’t talk, do!“ from Bodenheim organizes aid shipments to Poland. They will transport the medicines for us tomorrow!
Members of Atemspende e.V. will bring the medicines and equipment from the university hospital in Mainz to Bodenheim, to the large warehouse of the association nicht reden, machen!
arrival of medicine in mainz (10.03.)
Today the deliveries of medicines arrived! The company Pari has sent us three euro pallets of inhalation devices and material! This is really great, thank you very much for the donation! With this, many people with CF in Ukraine will be able to inhale regularly again and thus stabilize their lung function!
ordering of medicine (09.03.)
Orders for the medicines in the first delivery have now been placed with several pharmacies, including the pharmacy at Mainz University Hospital, the Anker Pharmacy in Weisenau and the Central Pharmacy in Steinbach. They will be delivered to the Uniklinik tomorrow. In addition, we have received a donation of two oxygen devices from the company Oxycare! Thank you very much for this great donation, the devices are urgently needed in Ukraine and will enable two people with an already severely deteriorated lung function to breathe normally again!
message from charkiw (08.03.)
Wir haben heute erfreuliche Nachrichten aus Charkiw bekommen, die wir gerne mit euch teilen möchten.
Die Stadt in der Ostukraine ist stark umkämpft und steht unter dauerhaftem russischen Beschuss.
Trotzdem hat eine Hilfslieferung mit Medikamenten (vermutlich aus einem bisher weniger umkämpften Teil der Ukraine, noch keine unserer Lieferungen) die Stadt erreicht!
Um die Situation vor Ort authentisch zu zeigen, geben wir hier die originale Nachricht unserer Ansprechpartnerin wieder.
Namen und persönliche Informationen wurden zum Schutz der Personen entfernt und durch ein [] ersetzt.
Die deutsche Übersetzung findet ihr im Anschluss an die englische Nachricht.
I want to tell you about a miracle! A car with Creon arrived in KHARKOV !!
IN KHARKIV !!!
[] personally (no staff, who is in the bomb shelter, who left) met the car.
Thanks to the efforts of parents who could get to the center, Creon was dismantled and now it is being handed over to those who are in Kharkiv and the Kharkiv region.
Worked quickly.
Everyone understood that it was necessary to act quickly.
Tomorrow, due to air strikes, this medical [] center may no longer exist.
I bow before [].
She is 86 years old for a moment.
Professor, world-renowned [] and DOCTOR and Human with a capital letter.
Übersetzung:
Ich möchte euch von einem Wunder berichten! Ein Auto mit Kreon (Pankreas-Enzymen) ist heute in CHARKIW angekommen!! IN CHARKIW!!
[Name entfernt] hat das Auto persönlich in Empfang genommen, da keine Mitarbeiter mehr vor Ort sind (sie sind im Schutzbunker oder gegangen).
Dank der Anstrengungen von den Eltern, die zum Krankenhaus kommen konnten, wurde das Kreon ausgepackt und wird nun an Menschen in Charkiw und der umliegenden Region übergeben!
Es hat schnell funktioniert. Alle haben verstanden, dass es schnell gehen muss.
Morgen könnte es das Krankenhaus wegen Luftschlägen schon nicht mehr geben.
Ich verbeuge mich vor [Name entfernt].
Sie ist 86 Jahre alt.
Professorin, weltbekannte [Information entfernt] und ÄRZTIN und ein toller Mensch.
Update current plan (07.03.)
Our current plan is to use the donations to purchase additional medications over the course of the next week.
This will be done in consultation with the Polish CF association and a contact person in Ukraine.
Together with them we will decide how to invest the current donation amount most effectively and which medicines will help the local people the most.
On Friday, March 11, Dr. Poplawska and Mr. Vogel will bring the medicines to Poland.
From there, distribution to refugee shelters and delivery to Ukraine will be organized with the help of Ukrainian drivers.
We will continue to report on social media and our website about progress and the situation on the ground.
ordering the first medicine (05.03.)
The first order of medication arrived in Mainz yesterday (04.03.2022). It includes pancreatic enzymes and vitamins.
Further orders / deliveries are planned over the next few days.
As soon as the first load is complete, we will bring it to the refugees.
According to the current plan, in order to meet the great need, we will have to make several new orders and deliveries over the next few months. Donations are therefore also urgently needed over the next weeks / months!
which medicine is needed? (04.03.)
People with CF depend on a daily intake of medications that are essential for life. The supply of these essential medicines is currently not ensured for fleeing Ukrainians with CF. The Breath Donation Association is collecting donations to provide the following medications:
Pancreatic enzymes: due to CF, the function of the pancreas (building salivary gland) is very limited. Enzymes needed for digestion, especially of fats, do not reach the digestive tract. Therefore, people with CF must take additional pancreatic enzymes with every meal containing fat. Without these medications, full meals cannot be eaten, and malnutrition quickly results.
Inhalants: cystic fibrosis causes progressive mucus buildup in the lungs. To control this mucus and stabilize the function of the lungs, many sufferers require multiple daily inhalations.
Liver medications: Because CF also damages the liver, people with CF must also take liver medications daily.
Vitamin supplements: The vitamin balance is also often disturbed in people with CF, and supplemental vitamin administration is important to stabilize important body functions such as the immune system.
Emergency antibiotics: People with CF are more susceptible to infections due to the disease. Therefore, it is essential to provide antibiotics in oral form and by infusion, especially for fleeing people who are particularly vulnerable to further illness due to stress and cold.
Inhalation and infusion equipment: Special equipment is needed for inhalation of medications, which is lacking in refugee shelters. In addition, special equipment is also needed to administer infusions.
Mobile oxygen equipment: people with CF, in whom the damage to the lungs is already far advanced, depend on a supply of supplemental oxygen in order to breathe properly. When these people have to flee their homes to escape war, they are especially dependent on oxygen to make the arduous journey to a safer place. This requires mobile oxygen equipment, which is currently not widely available to those in need in Ukraine. So, in order to enable these people to escape, it is essential to procure mobile oxygen equipment and bring it to the people who need it.
Important note: We are very happy about the great willingness to donate. However, we are unfortunately not allowed to accept donations of medicines in kind. All medications are purchased by us from pharmacies.