Heart, generosity shown in response to Ukraine crisis
Deanna Humennyj saw a problem and decided to do something about it.
The problem, occurring half a world away, hit home for Humennyj.
Not only is she of Ukrainian descent, giving her a direct connection to the now war-torn nation, she also is a postpartum nurse at the Hospital of Central Connecticut in New Britain.
And having seen reports that Ukrainian women had given birth in bomb shelters, Humennyj choose to take action.
With an idea in mind, she asked for help.
The leadership of Hartford HealthCare decided to give that help.
The first items in a $250,000 donation of medical supplies have been sent on their way to Ukraine, where the situation is grim, and a humanitarian crisis of suffering grows as millions become refugees.
Around Connecticut, it is no surprise that the support for Ukraine has grown too; Nutmeggers often show their generosity and now are strong in their opposition to what Vladimir Putin has wrought.
As The Courant’s Eliza
Fawcett noted in her reporting, among other actions, the state’s Ukrainian-American community rallied recently at the state Capitol, calling for peace and freedom; the Hartford treasurer’s office moved to divest the city’s billion-dollar pension fund from Russian-owned assets.
Yale New Haven Health also announced a donation of more than $1 million in medical supplies to Ukrainians through the U.S. Cooperative for International Patient Programs.
This is exactly what should
occur when individuals, organizations, communities, states or nations oppose the actions of others: show it in words and changes, or, as in this case, generosity.
It is a generous donation by Hartford HealthCare, and Humennyj was not alone in the health system in her connection to Ukraine. Darlene Sawczysyn, a senior analyst of treasury services at Hartford HealthCare, said her great-grandparents emigrated from Poland and Ukraine, and settled and raised their family in Connecticut.
She recalled that while she was growing up, her family gathered
clothes they outgrew and sent them to Ukraine. Another show of generosity.
The donation from Hartford HealthCare included N95 masks, isolation gowns, exam gloves and bandages. Those are the kind of items needed in peacetime, but even more as the war continues.
More will be needed as millions continue to suffer. And we would bet on Connecticut residents, as well as many other Americans, continuing to offer their generosity and hearts to people half a world away.
Humennyj said her heart “is broken by what is going on in my family’s homeland.”