Coming together for a good cause
Ukrainian, Russian, living in P.E.I. join together to send insulin to Ukraine
SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. – Dmytro Ponomarov is feeling guilty that there is little he can do to support his friends and family in Ukraine as Russia invades.
“To be honest, I’m trying to stay a certain distance from the most disturbing news. I’m just trying to save myself from too much stress,” said Ponomarov, who moved from Ukraine to Summerside five years ago with his wife and children.
“That somewhat helps me to not think about the worst-case scenarios that could happen to my family and friends.”
Even so, he knew he could not just sit idly by and has spent the past three weeks trying to find a way to help.
“We’re trying our best to help our brothers, sisters, parents, they’re all in Ukraine, they’re all suffering the consequences of this war,” said Ponomarov.
“Just to cope with the guilt that we can’t help anymore, we’re trying to do something useful.”
A WAY TO HELP
For Ponomarov, and Charlottetown resident Daniel Gorbachev, asking Islanders to donate insulin to be shipped to Ukraine is something they discovered they could do to support those under siege.
“We are under major stress right now because of these events,” said Ponomarov. “Volunteering for the sake of helping Ukrainians, that’s something that helps us keep going.”
The idea to send insulin, specifically, came from Gorbachev – who moved to
P.E.I. from St. Petersburg, Russia, in 2016.
His mother was diabetic, and he knows just how crucial the medication is and had heard that it was in demand.
“I realized that there were probably some problems with insulin not going to be donated just like that,” said Gorbachev. “If we can focus on something like insulin, that might be helpful.”
For Gorbachev, it’s “amazing” to see how much support Islanders have given to his initiative, and he hopes that the donations will have made a difference to Ukrainians in need.
“It’s just my duty, my responsibility to help,” he said. “Everybody’s doing their small part, and I’m just doing my part.”
MEDICATION FOR UKRAINE
In early March, Ponomarov and Gorbachev put out a call on social media, asking Islanders to donate vials of insulin or e-transfer funds to purchase some to help with shipping costs.
A week later, on March 16, the first parcel – filled with around $2,000 worth of insulin – was shipped to Ponomarov’s old classmate in Germany. It is expected to arrive on March 23, and will then be trucked to Ukraine for those that had requested it.
“Hopefully, we’ll be able to hear from those people with diabetes who got our help,” said Ponomarov. “We would love to hear how important that was for them.”
Since putting out the call, Ponomarov said he is amazed by the support shown by individuals and businesses, including pharmacies.
“It’s amazing. We just started our campaign one week ago, and we’ve gotten so much response from Islanders,” he said. “It’s really encouraging. We possibly can save someone’s life, or eliminate unnecessary suffering because of the lack of medicine.”
While the war is ongoing, Ponomarov and Gorbachev are determined to continue their campaign for as long as it’s needed and Islanders are willing to lend a hand.
“This is what makes us confident that we are doing something meaningful and right for struggling people in Ukraine.”