Given the millions of refugees flooding into Europe . . . I wanted to help in person. As a physician, it was an easy decision on the best way to contribute - offer medical assistance. her volunteer at the clinic. I met a young teenager who was in the hospital when the bombing began, and he was separated from his mother for a couple of days. Since reuniting with his mother, he turned his initial terror into being a volunteer interpreter at the clinic. One woman, who misplaced her cell phone, had a severe emotional breakdown because, without her phone, she wouldn’t know if her husband was okay (we found the phone shortly after that). And in response, I saw immense support for these struggling people. The Polish people supported the millions of incoming Ukrainians more than anyone would expect. They provided huge amounts of support in infrastructure, financial relief, and volunteer hours. As of July, nearly eight million Ukrainians had fled the terror of war into other countries, 90% of whom were women and children. Over half of these refugees went to Poland. Another eight million Ukrainians were displaced within their homeland. Countries around the world supported getting visas and other relief for the refugees. Every Ukrainian I spoke with was immensely grateful for the world’s help. One woman, with tears in her eyes, said that she didn’t think anyone in the world knew that Ukraine existed. Ukrainians are among the most resilient people in the world. They have the perfect combination of humility and a willful attitude that has led them to defend their country much more effectively and ferociously than Russia expected. One of the volunteer translators at the center showed me a picture of his eight-year-old niece in Kyiv. She was standing on the charred remains of a burned Russian tank in the middle of the city, flexing her arms with a look of triumph on her face. That is what the Ukrainian spirit truly is and why so many throughout the world now see the Ukrainian flag as such sweet inspiration. Those interested in supporting Ukrainian refugees in Utah, please go to https://utahukrainians.org to donate time, money, or items. Thank you. Kyle Bradford Jones, MD, FAAFP, is an Associate Professor at the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine at the University of Utah and author of Fallible: A Memoir of a Young Physician's Struggle with Mental Illness and Hospital. A line of semi trucks full of donated items in a logjam over a mile long waiting to get into Ukraine. Dr. Jones masked up and ready to help. 23 |
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy ODQxMjUw