Local residents are rallying around a local effort to raise funds for a children’s hospital in Kyiv, Ukraine. The effort was organized last week by Slava Vayser, to help his native country. Vayser and his wife, Iryna, are from Kyiv but have lived here in lived in Los Angeles for more than 25 years. Vayser told the Buzz he has been in constant contact with friends and family since the war started.
“It is just unimaginable what is happening in Ukraine,” said Vayser. “Not in a million years could I have imagined that Russia would invade Ukraine and destroy our cities.”
In an email sent to friends last week, Vayser wrote:
“My name is Slava Vayser, and my wife Iryna and I are both from the city and country that have sadly become household names in the last two weeks– Kyiv, Ukraine. And it is in this city, where a children’s hospital with a name hard to pronounce “Ohmatdyt” is being bombed. As a result, the most seriously and gravely ill children cannot leave. Instead, they must relocate to the basement, which now serves as a bomb shelter. And their doctors stay with them to keep many of these children on dialysis, ventilators and life support. They wait below ground for the air raids to pass so they can go back up to the operating rooms.
This war has touched a lot of people in many countries; it has even affected us here in the US at the gas pumps or in our portfolios. Believe me, and I’ll be the first one to admit, many of us had forgotten how GOOD we have it here! That is why we have created this fund–to give concrete support to people in dire need and to actually help save lives. Please help these children however you can!”
Vayser told us this morning that when he spoke with the CFO of Ohmadyt (pronounced oo mā dik) Hospital, the largest children’s in the country, to make arrangements for the funds, the staff are extremely grateful and appreciative of the support they are receiving from Americans.
“In addition to our generous support, they are asking us to do whatever we can to influence our leaders to help stop this war, ” said Vayser.
So far, his efforts have raise nearly $30,000 for Ohmadyt Hospital. The donations are being gathered by local grassroots action volunteer organization Big Sunday, which is has agreed to absorb any additional costs from credit card transactions and wiring costs.
“Rest assured that 100% of your donation is going to Ohmatdyt Hospital,” wrote David Levinson, Big Sunday Founder and Executive Director, in an email to friends and supporters. “Big Sunday is a 501c3 organization and so your donation is tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.” Levinson told us today that Big Sunday also raised an additional $1,000 through the sale of a painting by Richard Reiner, through its online auction. That money is being sent to Doctors Without Borders for its Ukrainian relief.
As of today, the organizers are just $500 away from raising $30,000 for Ohmatdyt Children’s Hospital. You can still donate here and specify that it is for Ohmatdyt Hospital.
