To Ukraine with love
A team of three men from Arkansas have landed in Krakow, Poland, and are heading towards the Ukrainian-polish border to provide medical treatment and supplies to those displaced by the war.
The team was assembled by Malvern local, David VanGilst, who has traveled the world providing medical care in times of disaster.
Ernest Desoto is a Sheridan local with many contacts in Poland, making him a valuable asset for navigating the country. Danny Wirges is VanGilst’s nephew from Northwest Arkansas and will play a supporting role on the trip by helping to carry the 12 bags of medicines and supplies and by finding the medicines that Vangilst needs while providing care to victims.
With Desoto’s connections, the crew are also able to send supplies into Ukraine to victims and to medics closer to the frontlines.
“I keep asking myself why I am making this trip halfway around the world,” Vangilst wrote in a Facebook post. “And my answer always comes up the same. If my home, daycare, church, schools and hospitals were bombed, and I had nowhere to go, I would want someone to help me with shelter, food and life saving medications.”
Vangilst started taking medical mission trips when the Haiti earthquake of 2010 rocked the island nation. The earthquake was significant to Vangilst as the Iowa native spent some time living in the country during his teen years.
He ordered medications and put together a team to go himself instead of volunteering with an organization. He has also gone on similar trips to Honduras.
When he is not going abroad to save lives, he’s treating patients right here in Malvern at the Ouachita River Unit. He is an registered at the prison while his wife, Dorcas Vangilst, is a licensed professional counselor who does therapy sessions remotely with clients from around the state. She has gone with him on several mission trips and always supported his efforts.
“I told my husband,” said Dorcas. “’If you organize it, I’ll work on fundraising.’”
Dorcas spent 14 years working with Union Rescue Mission in Little Rock before making the switch to her current job in Malvern.
From donations gathered directly and through First Baptist Church in Malvern, the Vangilsts were able to buy 12 bags full of urgently needed medicines, including medications for blood pressure and Benadryl for anxiety amongst
other common ailments that are often overlooked in disasters. Vangilst can sometimes see 100 people a day, who may be suffering from anything from hypothermia to dehydration.
When ordering supplies from Blessings International, the Vangilsts were able to purchase close to $7,000 worth at a price of only $2,200. This is due to discounts that were applied for medicines being bought for the Ukrainian crisis. With help from Doctor Mark Albey of Benton, the couple were able to place their order.
Although their plane tickets to Poland were as little as $700, the team has encountered difficulties moving around compared to normal times. Instead of the usual train routes, they’ve had to acquire international driver’s licenses and rent a car for their journey.
“He always pays attention to world events and what’s going on in the world,” said Dorcas. “He’s very passionate about being places where people might not get good medical care if he wasn’t there.”
With over 30 years of experience under his belt in the medical field and many considering him to be one of the top nurses in Arkansas, Vangilst continues to selflessly give back to those who need him most.
“I had an acquaintance tell me before I left,” wrote Vangilst. “that what I was doing was only a drop in the bucket in helping the Ukrainians. I thought about what this person said, and thought, yes this person is right. But if I was the person receiving that drop, it would be life saving to me and my family. So, I choose to bring that drop in the bucket to probably several hundred people.”
After this week long trip, Vangilst and crew plan to return to the war-torn region in Aug. or Sept. unless the need arises sooner.
“I know that it will mean something to the Ukrainians that receive our help,” stated VanGilst. “Also, I know that this is important to God that we help those in need.”