"How many children can we serve in 1994? Let's shoot for 300." And 300 it was. Whether it was writing letters, making phone calls, or presentation to service clubs, 300 children was our goal in which to provide diabetic supplies and education.
During the year we started requesting either financial support or diabetic supplies to provide the 1994 Ukrainian Diabetes Project (UDP) clinics. We developed a flyer to spread the word. On March 2nd and 3rd we held a fund raiser phone-a-thon and called over 200 individuals raising $10,000 in pledges.
Non-Profit SponsorsSince the birth of the UDP, Promoting Enduring Peace (PEP) has supported the efforts. As the sponsoring organization, contributions made to PEP are 100% fully transferred to the UDP. Promoting Enduring Peace has helped financially, has received and stored supplies, has written letters of thanks to all donors, assisted with air and ground transportation, and much, much more.
Early in 1994, the Diabetic Youth Foundation (DYF) became a second sponsor. As with PEP, contributions made out to DYF are 100% fully transferred to the UDP Diabetic Youth Foundation has provided diabetic supplies, stored supplies, written letters of thanks to all donors, and much more.
Both of these established non-profit organizations support the goals and objectives of the UDP, and continued to assist the UDP in its growth.
StaffingThe medical team for the 1994 UDP consisted of Andrea Carroll, Dr. Ellen Simpson and John Kegel. Andrea (Andy) Carroll, Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator, is a Type I diabetic and founder of the UDP who coordinated the clinics. Andy organized the delivery of the supplies along with setting up three new clinics and teaching classes. Andy's first trip to Ukraine was in 1990 when she met a group of diabetic children which sparked the official development of the UDP.
Ellen Simpson, a medical doctor and former pediatrician has had over 40 years experience with diabetic children and summer camps for diabetics. Ellen's interest, motivation, and expertise in diabetes is a tremendous asset to the UDP.
John Kegel, also a Type I diabetic, assisted in the diabetic clinics. John uses an insulin pump and is very knowledgeable in the field of diabetes, especially after living with it for over 25 years and being employed by a diabetes pharmaceutical company. John had developed a diabetic pen pal the previous year and was invited to visit. The children were delighted with the added touches John brought to the program.
Donated Supplies and ServicesSupplies and services were obtained from businesses and individuals over the fiscal year, September 1993 - June 1994. Our efforts would not have been possible without the following corporate supporters:
American
- Bears in the Woods (toys)
- Boehringer Mannheim (blood testing strips)
- Children of Chernobyl Relief Fund (air transportation)
- Clinical Diagnostics, Inc. (blood testing strips and lancing devices)
- Coalition Against Hunger (insulin storage)
- Direct Relief International (insulin)
- Eli Lilly and Company (glucagon)
- Kendall-Futuro (syringes and lancing devices)
- Medisense, INc. (blood testing strips and meters)
- Russ Berrie (toys and ground transportation)
- Schultz Brothers-Bekins (shipping boxes)
- Terumo (syringes)
Ukrainian
- Air Ukraine (air transportation)
- Cherkasy Children Polyclinic (clinic site, medical staff and storage)
- Cherkasy Friendship Society (program coordination and ground transportation)
- Cherkasy Oblast Officials (air transportation, host families, and translators)
- Chyhyryn Clinic (clinic site and medical staff)
- Kaniv Clinic (clinic site, medical staff, host families, and translators)
- Poltava Clinic (clinic site, medical staff, host families, and translators)
Support from almost 300 individuals (too numerous to name here--but you know who you are) included supplies, monetary donations and support services. Over 100,000 disposable insulin syringes, 3000 vials of insulin, 150,000 blood testing strips and accessories, various assortment of sugarless gum, sugar substitutes and toys were received. Provision for 300 children, depending on their insulin requirement, included 6-15 vials of U-100 insulin, 100-300 syringes, 2-4 blood strips/day, and handfuls of sugarless goodies. These supplies should last each child one year.
ClinicsCherkasy: (Sister City of Santa Rosa, California)
Under the jurisdiction of the regional endocrinologist, the diabetes clinic was located at the Children's Polyclinic # 3 in Cherkasy. The UDP started its third annual two-week clinic here.A second clinic, under the jurisdiction of the regional endocrinologist, was located at the Regional Hospital in Cherkasy. This one day clinic was held for the children that were unable to attend the first clinic.
The children and their parents received 10 hours of classroom education and instructions, a separate day was set aside for the children to receive their year's worth of supplies.
Chyhyryn: (Sister City of Sebastopol, California)
Under the jurisdiction of the Cherkasy regional endocrinologist, this clinic was located in Chyhyryn City Hall, which is part of the Cherkasy County (Oblast). A one day clinic was held in Chyhyryn where the children, their families, the local endocrinologist, and a couple adult diabetics attended. After providing the education and instructions, a separate day was set aside for the children to receive their supplies.Kaniv: (Sister City of Sonoma, California)
Under the jurisdiction of the Cherkasy regional endocrinologist, this clinic was located in Kaniv which is part of the Cherkasy County. For one week the clinic provided all diabetic children in the town and nearby villages with supplies and a diabetes education course similiar to Cherkasy. The local endocrinologist attended and advised each child individually.Poltava:
Under the jurisdiction of the Poltava regional endocrinologist, this clinic was located in Poltava at the Children's Hospital. For one week this clinic replicated the Cherkasy clinic. Close work with the regional endocrinologist helped make this a successful clinic.In total, the following diabetics were provided with an educational course and one year's worth of insulin, syringes, and blood testing kits:
| Cherkasy Policlinic | 77 children |
|---|---|
| Cherkay Regional Hospital* | 39 children |
| Chyhyryn | 4 children |
| Kaniv | 13 children |
| Poltava* | 60 children | Other areas** | 2 children |
| Total | 195 children |
*Extra supplies were left behind for an additional 60 children in Cherkasy
and 60 children in Poltava who could attend the clinics.
** Two children from Kiev attended the Charkasy clinic. One currently lives
in Russia. Her grandfather makes a 14 hour train ride every year to pick up
her supplies.
| Directly served | 195 children |
|---|---|
| Indirectly served | 120 children |
| TOTAL | 315 diabetic children |
Accomplishments
- Brochure: A black and white glossy brochure describing the mission, history, and objectives of the UDP was developed and printed.*
- Video: An eleven minute video depicting the conditions diabetics live with in Ukraine is described. The help provided by the UDP to assist the diabetic children is shown.
- Ukrainian Version Diabetes Manual: Through the efforts of Volodymyr and Ann Korin and Ola and Yuri OLiynyk, the manual "An Illustrated Guide for Diabetes Mellitus" (approximately 270 pages) by Dr. Luther Travis was translated into Ukrainian. In a short three-week period, Seraphom Rose Press, Inc. printed 1000 copies of the manual. These books were given to all the diabetic children in the clinics as part of the educational component. They were like gold in the children's hands.
- ADA Forecast Magazine Cover Story: In September 1994, the American Diabetes Association featured Andrea Carroll, UDP founder, on the cover story. The article, written by Marcia Levine Masur, captured the heart of the project and provided great exposure.
- 300+ Diabetic Children: Last but by no means least, over 300 children were provided with education and diabetic supplies to help them manage their diabetes over the next year. Some of the children have been enrolled in the clinic since 1992. The health of these children is improving greatly.
Nella Gaydiachuk MD, endocrinologist says "the Ukrainian Diabetes Project not only provided the essential diabetic supplies and education needed to live a healthy life, it provides hope for our children. Andy tells the children they can lead normal healthy lives and acts as a role model our children believe in."
