Dear Family, Friends, Followers, and Strangers:

When I started this GoFundMe fundraiser back in November, my goal was to help my friend Nataliia escape the regular missile and drone attacks in Odesa and make the journey to Lviv. She was experiencing daily power outages, lack of resources, no water, and freezing temperatures on a daily basis.With your help, I am happy to say she was able to make the 12 hour train ride to Lviv, and to the village where she grew up. She has secured an apartment and has family close enough to visit. None of this would have been possible without the donations you have made. She sends so much appreciation.

The sad part is, I was trying to get her out of danger. So she wouldn’t be hurt, or worse. On January 2nd, while walking her dog, she slipped on the ice and broke her lower leg. Both Tibia and Fibula.She went through an emergency surgery to immobilize her leg and eventually had plates put in to stabilize the bones. I am not sure if you are familiar with the Ukrainian healthcare system, but she went through all of this without pain medication. With my medical background, I was asking what medications she was taking. She told me benadryl for sleep and an NSAID for pain. All of which she had to pay for out of pocket.

The surgery and hospital stay would have cost over $40,000 here in the United States. But, she informed me it is about $2,000 for her in Ukraine. After 3 weeks in a hospital bed, Nataliia was finally discharged from the hospital, without a cast, wheelchair, crutches, or medication. She was told to stay off of it for 3 months and showed how to bandage the surgical wounds. I am not sure when she will be able to work.

I am asking again for help. To anyone who is able, please share this GoFundMe with friends or on social media. If you are able to donate, that would be appreciated so much. I would like to help with her hospital bill, medical equipment and supplies, food, and hopefully someone to take out trash, do laundry and dishes, and cook.

Again, thank you to everyone who has helped. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to me.

Sincerely,

Thomas