Military defend the borders - philanthropists take care of their children's health: why it is important for military families 3 April 2024

There are more than 800 thousand defenders in Ukraine, said President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy. From the Ladyzhyn community in Vinnytsia region alone, more than 1,000 soldiers are defending our country. More than half of them have families and children. To support the wives of the defenders and help take care of the health of their descendants, more than 20 doctors from Okhmatdyt, with the support of the MHP-Hromada Charitable Foundation, went to Ladyzhyn for a check-up. We tell you why such initiatives are important for the military.

Olena Dovhal's story

Olena Dovhal is a mother of many children and the wife of Volodymyr, a soldier. Her husband signed a contract with the Armed Forces in December 2021. So on the first day of the war, he immediately went to the front. He fought in different areas: from Bakhmut to Kherson. Recently, Volodymyr's eldest son Ilya joined him at the front. The younger one, Zakhar, is still a student studying military affairs. In addition to Zakhar, Olena takes care of two twin daughters: 12-year-old Marta and Varvara.

"I also wanted to join the Armed Forces under a contract, but my husband and I decided that someone should take care of our two daughters. However, we all volunteer and help the frontline. Families with relatives in the service cannot sit idly by," says Olena Dovhal.

Olena was informed about the arrival of Okhmatdyt doctors at the Ladyzhyn City Council. They called the families of the military and organized the arrival of families from the surrounding settlements.

"It's very convenient that we have access to consultations with such narrow specialists. For example, I came with my daughters for a checkup with a pediatrician, an endocrinologist, and several other doctors. First of all, it's spring, so tests and checking blood counts are very important. Secondly, Marta and Varvara are in the middle of their teenage years, so it's important for me to understand whether their hormonal levels are normal and whether everything is going according to plan. After all, it is better to prevent diseases than to treat them. Moreover, we don't have time for this, because we have to fight another enemy," Olena adds.

Why it is important for the military

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, hundreds of soldiers from Ladyzhyn and the Ladyzhyn community have been on duty for a long time, so it is the wives who take care of their children's upbringing, education and medical examination.

"We, as a team of a charitable foundation that implements projects to support our defenders, know that it is important for the military to understand that their families are safe, supported and helped. The military themselves have repeatedly emphasized this. That's why we invited highly qualified doctors to Ladyzhyn, who conduct a full examination in a few hours: with ultrasound machines, blood tests, and an initial examination. If necessary, they refer patients for treatment. This speed of examination is not available in all private or regional clinics. This is a unique format that we have offered to the families of our defenders, because in this way we thank them for their protection," explains Petro Andriyets, Head of Social Development at MHP-Hromada Charitable Foundation.

The impact of timely medical examination of children during a full-scale war

This is not the first visit of Okhmatdyt doctors to Ladyzhyn. Last spring, there were 4 visits. In total, we managed to examine 1058 children. The first to be examined were children from vulnerable categories - preschoolers and schoolchildren, then - all comers, because the demand was very high. At that time, the doctors were visited by many IDPs: children from Mariupol, Mykolaiv, Donetsk and Luhansk regions who now live in Ladyzhyn. Many of them lost their documents and medical records, and for children who need regular check-ups, this is a significant loss. A full examination by all Okhmatdyt doctors was an important help for hundreds of families.

In total, in 2023, Okhmatdyt doctors conducted more than 13 thousand consultations in 4 regions of Ukraine. They diagnosed a number of diseases in children that resulted from the events of the full-scale invasion: from nervous disorders (increased anxiety - children are afraid of losing one of their parents or are already experiencing this loss) to gastrointestinal disorders (either overeating or malnutrition due to stress) and allergic reactions and respiratory problems (asthma, frequent bronchitis). The number of the latter has increased several times, in particular, due to the frequent stay of children in shelters during air raids. Thus, doctors say that timely medical examinations can save lives and prevent diseases that may arise as a result of a full-scale war.