Celebrating 10 Years of Service

Meet the Children Until there is a cure, there is education.

To our American friends, we want to thank you very much for your continued kindness and help for our diabetic children. The Ukrainian Mother of Diabetic Children

Ukrainian Diabetes Project - 2001 Report

The Ukrainian Diabetes Project, a humanitarian aid program of the Diabetic Youth Foundation, celebrates 10 years of service to the Ukrainian children with diabetes and their families. This summer the mission continued in the city of Kiyiv, where the UDP team has worked the past 4 years.

Andy Skrypka, UDP Project Director, started the program after she took a sight seeing trip to Ukraine in 1990. She is of Ukrainian descent and was visiting the homeland of her mother's, Nell (Kobernyk) Carroll, parents. In the United States, Andy works as a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator.

Shocked by the lack of education in diabetes management and access to diabetes supplies including the life saving medicine, insulin, she returned to the United States and started to collect diabetes supplies. Andy has had diabetes since 1971. Determined to help the children with diabetes she has returned to Ukraine every summer since her first trip in 1990. She has managed to help over 1900 children in seven regions of Ukraine by setting up diabetes education clinics and distributing diabetes supplies to each of them.

Included in the UDP medical team that travels to Ukraine have been physicians, diabetes educators, individuals with diabetes, Ukrainian Americans, friends, and family.

In 1993, the UDP set up its first diabetes education clinic. In 1995 it sponsored an exchange program inviting 6 diabetic children from Cherkasy to visit the Diabetic Youth Foundation's summer diabetes camp. In 1996 the UDP translated the first Ukrainian version of a popular diabetes manual and distributed 1000 copies throughout Ukraine.

The UDP operates on contributions from individual donors. They receive no government grants.

This summer, Ellen Simpson MD, and Volodymyr Skrypka joined Andy. They arrived in Ukraine on July 9, 2001 to provide 120 children with humanitarian aid and 2 weeks of diabetes education. The Diabetes Charity Fund of Kiyiv organizes a summer camp for children with diabetes through which the UDP operates.

The Kiyiv summer camp, "Orlenok", is modeled after the Diabetic Youth Foundation "Bearskin Meadow Camp". Children from ages 3-18 are invited to spend 2 weeks at camp to learn healthier ways to live with diabetes. In addition, the UDP offers education classes throughout the day. Parents or other family members are also invited to attend.

This summer the UDP provided each child with insulin syringes, blood glucose strips, lancets and lancing devices, and small toys. Each child happily received their supplies during their stay at camp.

Since its inception the UDP has provided nearly $1.8 millions dollars worth of diabetic supplies to the children. The seven regions the UDP team has traveled to include Cherkasy, Poltava, Kharkiv, Ternopil, Vinnitsa, Sudak, and now Kiyiv.

For the 3rd year, the UDP team has brought a DCA 2000 meter which measures a special component of glucose control. Eighty children received the test this year.

The diabetes supplies that were given to the children were sent in advance of the UDP medical team's arrival in July. Two shipments of supplies were sent, one in January 2001 and the other in May 2001. Unfortunately the May shipment was still clearing customs when the UDP team arrived in Kiyiv for this summer's camp sessions. "Getting humanitarian aid through customs continues to be a difficult process" states Skrypka, "I hoped that it would get easier as time passed, but I was wrong. Thankfully, the Diabetes Charity Fund of Kiyiv has been available to help us".

For children with diabetes, it continues to be difficult to purchase blood testing strips. On average a month of strips cost approximately $10.00. Considering wages range anywhere from $30.00-$80.00 for the average family, the price is a monumental barrier to care. Blood testing strips continue to be a major focus of the UDP supplies that are provided to the children.

Direct shipments of supplies through the Diabetes Charity Fund will continue in the upcoming year as well as the printing of another 1000 copies of the Ukrainian diabetes manual. Financial contributions are tax-deductible and will be used to purchase diabetes supplies throughout the year.

In 1938, the late Dr. Mary Olney founded the nation's oldest wilderness summer camp for children with diabetes. The camp is now located at Bearskin Meadow Camp in Sequoia National Forest in California. The first camp was held in Napa, CA at Camp Las Posados when "Doc" took a group of volunteers and 19 children from UC's pediatric clinic there. The camp was unprecedented in its vision. Only 17 years after the discovery of insulin, little was known about what children with diabetes could be permitted to do. The Los Posados campers, ecstatic over their experience, begged Dr. Olney to continue the camp. The summer was the beginning of what eventually became Dr. Olney's lifelong commitment to children with diabetes. "Doc" and her partner, Dr. Ellen Simpson was the guiding force behind the camp for almost half a century. Her vision, that diabetes should not be a reason for failing to develop oneself to the fullest, was imbued in every part of the camp's operation. Children learned principles of diabetes management, but also learned that managing the diabetes was only the first step. Becoming a productive member of society was the greater challenge, so "Doc" made sure that the camp offered a variety of activities. Sports, crafts, music, natural history, literature, drama, government provided opportunities for children to grow physically, intellectually, and socially. In 2001, Bearskin Meadow Camp sessions continue to be full. There are now family camp sessions, teen sessions and regular camp sessions. Usually a session will have over 200 campers and staff. Dr. Mary Simon has taken on the endeavor to continue and expand the mission and to offer a safe place for children and families with diabetes to come together.

Excerpts from DYF Reporter-Mark Weddle

Mission statement: The mission of the Ukrainian Diabetes Project is to provide education in diabetes care to Ukrainian children with insulin-dependent diabetes to improve and maintain their health and enable them to live. In addition, diabetes supplies are collected and distributed to the children.
This year marks the tenth year of the Ukrainian Diabetes Project efforts in Ukraine.
The UDP operates solely from individual contributions like yours. Every summer, our medical team volunteers their time to educate the diabetic children and their families in Ukraine and to provide them with diabetes supplies.
We can only continue our efforts with your help. We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their generous support.

Project Year & Services

1990 - Kiyiv Served 8 children 1991 - Kiyiv Served 20 children 1992 - Cherkasy Project officiale established its first diabetes clinic in Cherkasy Served 30 children 1993 - Cherkasy Served 60 children

1994 - Cherkasy, Poltava Served 300 children 1995 - Cherkasy, Poltava, Vinnitsa Served 450 children 1996 - Cherkasy, Kharkiv, Ternopil Served 450 children 1997 - Sydok, Cherkasy Served 75 children

1998 - Kiyiv Served 50 children 1999 - Kiyiv Served 63 children 2000 - Kiyiv Served 120 children 2001 - Kiyiv Served 120 children

Although we wish we had the space to list all gracious contributors, we would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the following individuals who have donated $100.00 or more.
John Batz, Elizabeth Burnham, Larry Carbine, John & Mollie Carroll, Audre Dioli, RG Ecob -Ttee, Emory & Georgia Elliott, Robert J. Frisby, Kay & Pepper Furey, David & MJ Furey, Ronald & Helen Greenwood, Lois Gresh, Lucinda Hopewell, Roy & Isabella Ingles, Dorothea Joos, Aleksandr & Viktoriya Kolesnikov, Peggy & Wayne Mraz, Kathleen Murphy, Carol Newton Babbini, Stan Poncia, David Price MD, Broy Riha, Frances Ross, Marilyn Rowand, Evelyn Schaugaard, Robert Scoren DDS, Milo & Neil Shepard, Ellen Simpson MD, Walter & Mary Strutz, Christina & Andre Tershakovec, Gordon & Janet Tsuchiya, Barbara & Tim Tuscany, Elaine Whisman, Joanie Wilson, Doug & Thelma Wissig, Dollar Drug, Helen M. Harrison Foundation, Rotary Club of Santa Rosa -West.
Supply Donation This year's supplies were donated by the following: Diabetic Youth Foundation, Novo Nordisk, Diabetes Society of Sonoma County.