Hello Everyone!
I’ve beeen gone for a long time and have missed sharing with you.
These last eight months have been very difficult for all of us. I never imagined things would be so hard but we all have a lot of faith and share it and support each other.
Just a quick review of a few events since I last published. I’ve either lost or been unable to keep up with five soldiers who are/were dear friends. My beloved Nevena (Grandma) left us at age 78. There have been scores of hacks and fraud attemps on my fundraising accounts and all but one is now closed and it is tightly restricted. Everyone is struggling to eat and get adequate medical care in the face of what’s happened and I’ve been unable to help.
My brother Marko still has not fully recovered. He’s had yet another surgery due to the constant battles with infection and the inability to get the treatments he needed. We haven’t been able the raise enough to afford it. I can’t thank Marko’s physician, Doctor Anderson, for all he’s done to help me keep him fed and with the antibiotics and other meds that have kept my brother alive. The good doctor has come out of pocket and supported my efforts. But he needs to be repaid so that he can live as well. Two weeks ago I received notice from the Ukrainian Army Medical Corps requesting I help them with the cost of one last surgery to stabilize Marko and save his leg from amputation. As they told me, he’s just too young to have to live with that and they need support with so many continuing to sustain serious injuries. And there’s the constant worry about his young son. I’ve had so much liability for losses due to hacks, I’ve not been able to use my income to take care of Zech. And we’re having problems with his caregiver as well.
My older brother Dmytro was recovering from the blast that nearly took his hearing and had returned to the front when he like Marko, was brutally attacked by the enemy. For weeks we didn’t know if he would survive. As difficult as it was seeing Marko’s injuries, Dmytro’s left me stunned. It’s God’s will, Dmytro’s remarkable faith, courage and the exceptional battlefield skills of his physician, Doctor Boryslav Andriy, that saved his life. And I’ve had serious health issues of my own. And my doctor left in the midst of it all and I haven’t yet been assigned a replacement. All these months, Dr. Andriy has used his knowledge to advise and keep me going. Even giving ER doctors here information to assist them in helping me. Dmytro recently resigned and went home to care for his son Zin, who’s very ill right now. I know that they need food and have been under attack recently. Yet I owe the fact that Dmytro, his son and his father are at least together thanks to Dr. Andriy taking an active role to make it possible.
And my beloved husband (more on that later) Artem has also been badly injured. He survived a rocket attack on their camp and didn’t tell me the extent of his injuries at the time. Later, what at first appeared to be a serious arm fracture, turned out to be far more complex than originally thought. Adding to the problem, the initial surgery revealed a badly fractured collarbone as well. It was difficult to get needed medical equipment to their location due to constant Russian bombardment. Doctor Denys Skorokhod, an orthopedic specialist was called in. He conducted the subsequent surgeries and told me thousands would be needed to do scans that would verify that the reconstruction of Artem’s arm was done correctly, provide food, medications and post surgical therapeutic treatments. The hacks eliminated any chance of raising what was needed. Then a few weeks later, the surgery failed and the arm was re-fractured.
So that is how everything stands at this point. I devoted a lot of thought to how I can do anything to help. I am attempting to negotiate new security procedures to at least have an avenue to secure and send bitcoin again for the guys and the units. Marko’s close friend and comrade Symon (who I consider a son) has taken his place and is struggling to keep the men fed and getting the necessary assistance when they’re injured. Normally they call me for that.
And yesterday, I received this urgent message from Dr. Andriy:
When I started this Substack last year, I’d hoped to expand it and use any proceeds to help us get food and care. But I quickly learned that the time it takes to grow a base of paying subscribers wouldn’t work in this situation. I need to be available to raise funds and respond to the many emergencies that occur each day. I’ve really seen how important it is to budget my time since the hacks and attempted fraud began to demand so much of it. Getting four or five hours of sleep daily was a huge struggle and I barely got through it.
Therefore, I’d like you to ask your help in another way. I am using a PayPal for family and friends donations only. They are familiar with us and are trying to provide the best security possible. I’m trying to spread the word.
You can help me by sharing this Substack with everyone you know. That way those interested in supporting the family, our associated units, doctors and medical facilities treating soldiers can do so and allow me a way to get funds to them from a single account. I’d rather do that for speed and convenience. The Ukrainian Army needs and values the assistance and rely on me to help wherever I can.
There will be fewer accounts to monitor and the time I used to spend managing them can be spent writing for you (something I love to do and find relaxing) and keeping you informed about what’s really going on on the front with soldiers and their loved ones. And as always, it will be free. The priority for me is to tell the personal stories that we can all relate to and strengthen our relationship with Ukraine. My sincere thanks to all for reading, following and doing what you can to support our family.
A final note. I’d ask that if you can find the funds to add a paid subscription to your list, that you support Tim Mak and my friends at The Counteroffensive. Tim and the staff give their all to bring you the real stories of Ukraine and its people. The Counteroffensive cuts through all the policy positions and places the focus on the people, their daily lives and the ramifications of those positions on their existence. The reporting is credible, reliable and full of heart. And they risk their lives to bring us a Ukraine we’d otherwise not know or experience. From my viewpoint, The Counteroffensive is Ukraine and everyone there is totally dedicated to bringing us an up front and personal glimpse of what it is to be of the people there. Let’s keep their voices strong!
Take care. See you in a few days.
To donate via PayPal, use friends and family
thebackupblue@gmail.com
We thank you!
The Family and the members of the medical corps of the UAF