Kryla Nadiyi (which means “Wings of Hope” in Ukrainian) are our partners on the ground in western Ukraine warehousing, sorting, and distributing our humanitarian aid to various hot spots across the country. They are one of the top charities in Ukraine doing this type of work since 2013.
The first shipments of tactical medicine (purchased & shipped on day two of the war) are now arriving to civilian territorial defenses in Kyiv and Zhytomyr oblasts in Ukraine. We are enormously grateful for this brave and trusted group of volunteers who are ensuring its safe arrival. Tacmed supplies continue to be one of the most urgent forms of aid needed to get into the hands of Ukrainians.
We have streamlined our operations with Meest America Inc., and right now, 38 tons more of tactical medical and hospital supplies are making their way to Ukraine via Poland.
Finally, since the start of the war, we’ve spent over $1.5M procuring this humanitarian aid and covering logistical costs.
Last, but most certainly not least, we ask you to consider making a contribution to the following efforts:
Our Razom’s Emergency Response Project works to deliver only the most urgent humanitarian aid in war torn parts of Ukraine, which includes tactical medical supplies, hospital needs, and supplies that enable the safe and efficient distribution of that aid (like med tactical backpacks, GPS devices, satellite phones, and drones).
UACC’s fundraiser to export helmets and armory vests to Ukraine and get them in the hands of territorial defense units across key parts of the country is still ongoing.
With the heavy flow of supplies going daily across the ocean to Ukraine, it was only a matter of time until Razom’s partnership with Meest America, Inc. shipping company would require additional support. We are raising money to ensure that thedonations you’ve delivered to Meest, that go beyond tacmed and medical supplies (many of you have been doing epic Costco runs!), get shipped across the ocean to Ukraine efficiently.
It’s not just March 3rd, it’s day eight of Russia’s war on Ukraine and Ukrainians’ incredible resistance. Below, you’ll find the latest on how you can continue to get involved & support Ukraine, and updates on Razom’s Emergency Response project.
Let’s begin with how to update your to-do list for today. If Ukrainians dare to stop a tank with their bare hands, you can dare to do the following:
Thanks to the UACC’s (Ukrainian American Coordinating Council) quickly obtaining a special export license for regulated, military-grade items, you can now help us get protective gear for the civilian defense units that are protecting each city, town, and village in Ukraine. This means procuring large shipments of military-grade helmets and armory vests.
Keep putting the pressure on your representatives, the US administration, and European leaders to close the airspace over Ukraine, enact harsher sanctions to isolate Russia, seize russian oligarchs’ wealth, and provide more military & humanitarian support for Ukraine. We’ve got some templates for that right here.
Don’t worry, the list continues below…
Stay vigilant when it comes to disinformation. Make sure that you are verifying where you’re submitting your donations given there are so many tools available to us for raising awareness. Razom’s donation page has options for bank transfer, check, PayPal, Zelle, and crypto. You can always choose to donate to fundraisers on Facebook or Instagram too (we’re finally blue check mark verified!), knowing those funds take a bit longer to arrive.
Many of you are also taking advantage of corporate matching! If you have any questions regarding this, please email us at donations@razomforukraine.org.
Meanwhile, if you find an account that you suspect to be fake, please report it to security@razomforukraine.org.
There is now a Ukrainian migrant task force consisting of experienced immigration attorneys, attorney bar associations, law firms, and law school clinics. Razom volunteers are there too! If you are a lawyer willing to help, fill out this form to get involved.
Join a rally to #StandWithUkraine to meet Ukrainians, connect with each other, and learn about what’s at stake in the world right now. There’s a repository of rallies & protests held around the world here. You can add a rally or protest to that list here.
In New York City on Saturday, March 5th, there will be a 1pm rally in Times Square and a Stand With Ukraine Community Concertat 5pm at the Ukrainian National Home. You can purchase your tickets to that here.
An Update on Razom’s Emergency Response Project:
We’ve raised over $4M in the past week, and with your continued support hope to significantly increase that number. It’s never been more important than now to support work in Ukraine.
A 20 ton shipment of tactical medical and hospital supplies is making its way through customs in New Jersey right now.
We’ve rented out a Boeing 787 from LOT Polish Airlines to be able to fill and transport an entire aircraft of only the most urgent emergency supplies for Ukraine by Tuesday, March 8th.
We’ve partnered with Americares to procure their entire surplus of tactical medical supplies (9 pallets) that should make it’s way to New Jersey in a day or two.
We can’t wait to keep you updated on the impact of your support, and post regular updates about the project on our site.
In order to expedite the delivery of much-needed medical supplies to Ukraine, Razom first and foremost set out to buy up resources in Europe. Thanks to eight years of active cooperation with Euromaidan – Warszawa, including a large network of volunteers (some of whom traveled across Europe and relocated to Poland!), we have a team of dedicated and trusted volunteers.
They were able to purchase supplies within only a few hours of discovery and now it’s all ready for the delivery to Ukraine, which will take much shorter time.
The supplies include the following: large standard police bags with pre-set first aid content, including hydrogel bandages, valve bandages, modular bandages, waterproof individual bandages, rescue scissors, CELOX gauzes, etc., as well as medical stretchers.
It’s day 7 of the ongoing war in Ukraine, and time is always running against us, because it is. That’s why Razom is working hard at confirming partnerships with some major international corporations/suppliers in order to deliver goods in bulk and ensure that every time the shipments make the journey to Ukraine, the containers are absolutely filled to the brim.
In the meantime, the incredible amount of individual contributors seizing the moment to buy up medical or tactical medical supplies in the largest quantities possible are keeping our Emergency Response moving forward. Thank you to the volunteers in Poland. Thank you to the doctors across the US and Canada who are leveraging their roles to negotiate purchases on our behalf and even at times making donations “in kind” or waiting days, if not weeks, to be reimbursed. Thank you to all those who share their on-the-ground intelligence with us so we can coordinate the best routes for shipment. Thank you to those who have become master coordinators for humanitarian aid. And of course, thank you to all the donors that care.
Razom’s teams of volunteers – a truly diverse group of individuals and partnering organizations across US, Europe, and Ukraine – have been urgently working to establish highly efficient procurement, logistics, and distribution channels. We are constantly working against the clock on this and cannot begin to properly thank all those determined to make it happen! At the same time, we have been hard at work analyzing the overwhelming amount of support in donations from you and are finally here to deliver some long awaited updates.
Razom was founded on purely volunteering efforts of Ukrainian Americans in NYC during the 2013-14 Revolution of Dignity in Ukraine. Razom, which means “together” in Ukrainian, believes in the enormous potential of dedicated volunteers around the world united by a single goal: to unlock the potential of Ukraine. We work towards that mission by creating spaces where people meet, partner, and act.
Razom has maintained an open Emergency Response project since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2014 where we mobilized to procure medical and tactical supplies to the eastern front. We picked up this project again in 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to fundraise for, procure, and deliver medical supplies across covid hot spots in Ukraine. Since 2014, the Emergency Response fund has always remained open for donors so that we were in a position to act swiftly in support of Ukrainians in crisis situations. When reports came that Russia began amassing troops on Ukraine’s borders, we began actively promoting for the Emergency Response fund again on February 18, 2022.
Given that Razom is an entirely volunteer-run organization, our grassroots network is our key asset. All of our fundraising efforts for the Emergency Response project are conducted via social media and word-of-mouth. Donors have the option to donate via Facebook and Instagram where individuals are able to start their own fundraising campaigns on behalf of an organization. Razom has spent years amplifying voices from Ukraine in conversations around the world, therefore we were able to swiftly communicate to our community the reality of the war in Ukraine. We organized resources for those interested in an easily accessible information hub (Linktr.ee/RazomForUkraine) and our awareness and global reach grew at least sevenfold in a matter of one-and-a-half days. Razom’s list of resources via the Linktree went viral, even so far as to become a poster slogan at major rallies across New York and D.C. and posted through the social media accounts of people with large followings.
Since our campaign going viral, to date, people have donated over $768,000 via social media alone. These funds will take as much as four weeks to transfer to our accounts, as per the policies of Meta. However with the increased visibility of Razom as a trusted resource for individuals looking to do something about the injustices and tragedy in Ukraine, many people chose to donate directly to our PayPal and bank accounts. Since February 18th, we’ve raised over $1.05M through those efforts. Within 5 days 14,371 donors contributed directly; the average donation size was under $100. In total, we expect to have $1.8M to deploy.
Over the past eight years, Razom has led several projects or partner projects in the healthcare space. These include programs that allow doctors based in the US to train doctors in Ukraine (Co-Pilot Project) and organizing container shipments for hospitals in Ukraine. During the global pandemic Razom led several waves of projects to procure and distribute PPE (in the early days of the pandemic) and later, medical equipment to hospitals. Thanks to the relationships nurtured and impact of those projects, we were able to identify doctors across the United States who could procure medical supplies on behalf of Razom. This list of doctors doubled and tripled within hours through word-of-mouth allowing us to purchase more goods at once to fill large shipments.
When it comes to the logistics and transport process, Razom is building a scalable, repeatable logistics operation to efficiently prioritize needs and deliver goods to the appropriate destinations. We’re partnering with organizations in the US, Ukraine, and Poland, that we’ve worked with since the Revolution of Dignity in 2014. Given the urgency and scale of the needs however, we are also actively building new partnerships. We hope to provide more details soon, and in the meantime you can keep tabs on our progress over on our website.
Razom’s teams of volunteers – a truly diverse group of individuals and partnering organizations across the US, Europe, and Ukraine – have been urgently working to establish highly efficient procurement, logistics, and distribution channels. We are constantly working against the clock on this and cannot begin to properly thank all those determined to make it happen! At the same time, we have been hard at work analyzing the overwhelming amount of support in donations from you and are finally here to deliver some long-awaited updates.
How the Emergency Response Project Began
Razom was founded on purely volunteering efforts of Ukrainian Americans in NYC during the 2013-14 Revolution of Dignity in Ukraine. Razom, which means “together” in Ukrainian, believes in the enormous potential of dedicated volunteers around the world united by a single goal: to unlock the potential of Ukraine. We work towards that mission by creating spaces where people meet, partner, and act.
Razom has maintained an open Emergency Response project since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2014 where we mobilized to procure medical and tactical supplies to the eastern front. We picked up this project again in 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to fundraise for, procure, and deliver medical supplies across covid hot spots in Ukraine. Since 2014, the Emergency Response fund has always remained open for donors so that we were in a position to act swiftly in support of Ukrainians in crisis situations. When reports came that Russia began amassing troops on Ukraine’s borders, we began actively promoting for the Emergency Response fund again on February 18, 2022.
Currently our work is focused on purchasing tactical medical supplies (for critical situations like blood loss etc in the field) and medical supplies needed in hospitals. Thanks to having one of the largest and most active volunteer networks in the Ukrainian-American diaspora, we’ve been able to quickly build a procurement team that purchases life-saving supplies across the US and Europe. Additionally, thanks to our years of work with volunteers and organizations in Ukraine, we have a logistics team that’s able to transport our supplies from Warsaw, Poland to Ukraine.
Fundraising Success
Given that Razom is an entirely volunteer-run organization, our grassroots network is our key asset. All of our fundraising efforts for the Emergency Response project are conducted via social media and word-of-mouth. Donors have the option to donate via Facebook and Instagram where individuals are able to start their own fundraising campaigns on behalf of an organization. Razom has spent years amplifying voices from Ukraine in conversations around the world, therefore we were able to swiftly communicate to our community the reality of the war in Ukraine. We organized resources for those interested in an easily accessible information hub (Linktr.ee/RazomForUkraine) and our awareness and global reach grew at least sevenfold in a matter of one-and-a-half days. Razom’s list of resources via the Linktree went viral, even so far as to become a poster slogan at major rallies across New York and D.C. and posted through the social media accounts of people with large followings.
Since fundraising efforts began on February 18th via Facebook, our campaign went viral and people around the world launched independent Instagram fundraisers. To date, people have donated over $768,000 via social media alone. These funds will take as much as four weeks to transfer to our accounts, as per the policies of Meta. However with the increased visibility of Razom as a trusted resource for individuals looking to do something about the injustices and tragedy in Ukraine, many people chose to donate directly to our PayPal and bank accounts. Since February 18th, we’ve raised over $1.05M through those efforts. Within 5 days 14,371 donors contributed directly; the average donation size was under $100. In total, we expect to have $1.8M to deploy.
The Procurement Process
Over the past eight years, Razom has led several projects or partner projects in the healthcare space. These include programs that allow doctors based in the US to train doctors in Ukraine (Co-Pilot Project) and organizing container shipments for hospitals in Ukraine. During the global pandemic Razom led several waves of projects to procure and distribute PPE (in the early days of the pandemic) and later, medical equipment to hospitals. Thanks to the relationships nurtured and impact of those projects, we were able to identify doctors across the United States who could procure medical supplies on behalf of Razom. This list of doctors doubled and tripled within hours through word-of-mouth allowing us to purchase more goods at once to fill large shipments.
The Logistics & Transport Network
Razom is building a scalable, repeatable logistics operation to efficiently prioritize needs and deliver goods to the appropriate destinations. We’re partnering with organizations in the US, Ukraine, and Poland, that we’ve worked with since the Revolution of Dignity in 2014. Given the urgency and scale of the needs, we are also actively building new partnerships. We hope to provide more details soon!
Thank you so much for your continued support. We’re razom.
This begins a series of newsletters from Razom to keep our community updated on our work and impact, and the resources available for you to join in.
Dear Razom Community,
The past 24 hours have been unimaginable. The reports that started flooding in from our friends, our loved ones, or the reports that wouldn’t come in for what felt like ages, is a moment in time that we know won’t leave us for a long time. Razom volunteers have been mobilizing, coordinating, working nonstop across time zones to ensure we understand what Ukraine needs right now and how we can all help.
We are in awe with the speed that volunteers across multiple states and countries found each other, focused, and organized to carry out this Emergency Response. Especially when one considers the circumstances and the amount of obstacles that are thrown their way. At times it’s been incredibly overwhelming – especially when websites go down, or russian bots block Facebook fundraisers, or other organizations join the cause so swiftly, accelerating our fundraising efforts that we are simply overwhelmed. So we’re here to take a collective deep breath and remind ourselves (and others!) about what resources, tools, networks, and tactics are available to us.
Here’s what we must do (listed in order of urgency, every minute counts right now):
Write and call your elected officials to act immediately and enact debilitating sanctions on Russia (including cutting Russian banks off from SWIFT, and an embargo on Russian oil and gas), fully isolate Russia from the international community, provide weapons and equipment for Ukraine, and send financial and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. Just do it, here’s a quick guide that’ll help you do it in no time.
If you want to help us translate these guides into as many languages as possible, email Mariya Soroka to get involved at mariya@razomforukraine.org.
Join rallies around the world to raise awareness in your community locally, nationally, internationally to demand the world leaders support Ukraine and the public doesn’t take its eyes off the urgency of the situation. You can find a constantly growing list of rallies here.
Razom volunteers have some big bold ideas for how we can mobilize millions to put pressure on their governments to immediately stand with Ukraine. Email Mariya Soroka if you want to get involved at mariya@razomforukraine.org
Want to organize a rally? Do it. Share it with Razom and we’ll support you.
You can absolutely donate directly to the Ukrainian Army. It’s pure and simple – heroes never die. This is where to do it.
There are many reputable, committed organizations that are raising funds for specific things. They will give us the power to provide much needed humanitarian aid. Consider donating to these and passing on to your friends and family as well:
Our Razom Emergency Response fundraiser was created to provide urgent help and support in face of extreme and unforeseen situations in Ukraine. For example right now, we are purchasing medical supplies for critical situations like blood loss and other tactical medicine items. First deliveries started to trickle in and most are en route. So far we’ve been able to use $50,000 of funds raised, and are continuing to work tirelessly to use them as effectively as possible.
Nova Ukraine’s fundraiser for humanitarian aid is engaging donors on the West Coast. Razom volunteers are collaborating directly with Nova Ukraine’s.
Project Kesher supports a network of multigenerational, trained leaders across Eastern Europe. Like us, they are collecting an Emergency Fund.
Come Back Alive has been supporting Ukrainian soldiers in Eastern Ukraine since 2014, with special emphasis on technical support, training, and medicine.
Support Hospitals in Ukraine have sent over $4.05M in cargo to hospitals since 2014. They continue their operation to support this key infrastructure in Ukraine at a time of war.
Army SOSis yet another great organization supporting Ukrainian soldiers by purchasing necessary ammunition, shields, intercommunication and reconnaissance facilities, uniforms and food supply.
Voices of Children provides psychological and psychosocial support to children affected by hostilities and have been working on the ground in many villages and towns along the front lines in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
Sunflower of Peace delivers lifesaving backpacks (for second level medical care according to the standards of tactical medicine) to Ukrainian soldiers, civilians, volunteers, and children.
Revived Soldiers Ukraine is yet another organization we’re collaborating directly with to send medical supplies as described above.
As always, if you want to donate your time/ energy/ skills/ smarts/ creativity/ ideas/ connections, email Mariya Soroka at mariya@razomforukraine.org. That’s all it takes to become a Razom volunteer. We need translators, writers, social media managers, medical specialists, logistics managers, fundraising specialists, people who have experience with refugee crises, and volunteer managers.
There’s a straight line from the consistency with which Razom is able to connect people who care and do the work to our effectiveness as an organization. The work isn’t easy and we don’t know what’s in store in the coming days or weeks, but as we stay up day and night for the people in Ukraine, we also look out for each other as Razom volunteers.
In the first 24 hours, while fundraising efforts were gaining full momentum, we connected an impressive team of Razom volunteers and nearly 20 partner organizations (Ukrainian, European, and US) with the expertise and resilience to create channels through which we could safely deliver much-needed goods across the Ukrainian border. As of today, there’s a trusted corridor between Poland and Ukraine that links two warehouses where life-saving supplies can be stored and distributed further. Meest-America, the trusted package and freight delivery service providing logistics solutions to Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Caucus, offered to fill their plane to the full with humanitarian goods from several organizations, including ours. Flying from Clifton, New Jersey, the first shipment is en route right now. We expect it to reach Ukraine in two days.
Given that the situation on the ground in Ukraine shifts rapidly, it is our hope that the channels we’ve established between the US and Ukraine via Poland will be a route of delivery we are able to repeat on multiple occasions.
Right now, we are actively looking for contacts with international humanitarian organizations or wholesale companies where we can purchase medical and tactical supplies. Our logistics network is well developed, but the procurement network needs most urgent support. If you can connect us to people who work or worked with such organizations or companies, we would be grateful. You can reach out to us at info@razomforukraine.org.
The latest supplies we purchased are listed below. Please be aware that not all purchases have made it to Clifton, NJ at the same time so we are working to maintain a consistent green corridor between US, Poland, and Ukraine.
100 disposable resuscitators
90 survival wrap packs
1000+ tourniquets
150 water jel burn dressings
30 abdominal pads
20 woven sterile sponges
We will continue to keep you updated and ensure your donations are well spent. Our team is working on providing a more detailed list of funds raised and spending. Please bear with us as our volunteers are responding on multiple fronts – media, humanitarian, and more – and are trying our best.
Within the Emergency Response efforts, our team is working day and night on finding and purchasing the needed medical supplies.
The initial plan was to purchase everything needed in Ukraine, but as it usually happens Ukrainian suppliers ran out of gear and med materials within the first orders from the government. Our current plan is to purchase medical supplies in the US and Europe and deliver it to Ukraine as soon as possible. At the moment we have ordered life-saving medical supplies for the amount of about $100,000 and continue purchasing as you are reading this post.
Among the first purchases are: – Rescue CAT Tourniquets (GEN 7), – Israeli Emergency Bandages (6″, 100/box), – QuilClot Combat Gauzes (Z Fold), – IV Start Kits, – Nasopharyngeal Airways, – Bag Valve Masks, – Sterile ABD Pads – and Iridium Satellite Phones.
The receipts for $50K are attached. We highly value transparency and will share the other receipts soon, as well as all the updates of further purchases. Please, be patient, it’s an emergency, and we are doing our best.
Donate today to provide relief and financial support to Ukraine in the time of need.
NEW YORK – Razom for Ukraine has issued the following statement regarding the ongoing crisis:
The United States must act immediately. The future of Europe and the world is at stake. Millions of Ukrainian lives will be affected. It is naive to believe that this kind of unprovoked attack and disruption of the world order will not affect Americans as well.
Razom for Ukraine is making an urgent plea for the following action plan:
Protect Ukrainian air space
Along with European and NATO allies, request the enforcement of a “no-fly” zone over Ukrainian territory
Continue to transfer defensive weaponry and equipment to Ukraine
Cut Russia off the SWIFT international banking system and levy additional sanctions against Russia
Fully isolate Russian Federation leadership from the international community by all means
Deliver financial assistance to strengthen the economy of Ukraine
Provide humanitarian assistance
Razom is accepting donations to assist the people of Ukraine. Donate directly so that there is no delay in your funds arriving.
Spread the word by sharing this now and donating here.
Razom for Ukraine
Razom is a 501(c)(3) organization. Donations and gifts are deductible to the full extent allowable under IRS regulations. Razom, which means “together” in Ukrainian, believes deeply in the enormous potential of dedicated volunteers around the world united by a single goal: to unlock the potential of Ukraine. Razom works towards that mission by creating spaces where people meet, partner, and act.
Our second fundraiser in support of Ukrainian hospitals fighting COVID-19 is going strong. As yet another spike in new cases has swamped the country, medical institutions and non-profit organizations from all over Ukraine are in search of life-saving oxygen for patients who cannot do without air support. Your recent donations helped purchasing the three more oxygen concentrators that were delivered to clinics and hospital in three different oblasts, all specifically focused on treating the coronavirus patients.
Thus, one concentrator was delivered to the Vorokhta outpatient clinic (Ivano-Frankivsk region), one more to the Shiryaiv CDH (Odessa region), and another one to the Bilokorovytsia outpatient clinic (Zhytomyr region).
We thank everyone for your support, generous donations and information sharing! We are also thankful for the outstanding cooperation with the non-profit Patients of Ukraine (Patsienty Ukrainy), who have been working hard to find, purchase and deliver the much-needed medical equipment to various Ukrainian cities, towns and villages!
Razom volunteers and supporters stand with courageous Ukrainian doctors, outpatient and health departments’ staff. We are deeply grateful for your tireless work! You are not alone. We are – razom – together!
Together with partners, volunteers and kind people from all over the U.S. Razom volunteers raised and delivered over $45,000 of supplies to health care workers who are fighting against the pandemic on the frontlines in Ukraine.
You can mail a check to 140 2nd. Ave., Suite 305, New York, NY, 10003
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Oblast Competitions
In 2018 we’re planning to cover expenses for 30 teams (6 people per team) at Oblast STEM competitions. Total Budget is $4500
Ruslan Batytskyi
Director, writer and cinematographer with three completed award-winning shorts as well as a feature documentary in post-production. After starting his filmmaker career at 2009, Ruslan brings his skills in project management, process analysis and systems models (received during obtaining MA in cybernetics 2003-2008) and applies them to the creative thinking and artistic thought-processes of film. He also holds BA in Film and Television directing (from the Kyiv National University of theatre, cinema and television by Karpenko-Karyi).
“A chance to participate in The Co-Pilot project it’s an amazing opportunity to help others and to tell the story that will engage and inspire people around the world”
2017 Trip Itinerary
We are gearing up for our 2017 Mission trip. It’ll be a 3-month adventure during which we plan to work with neurosurgeons from several centers from all around the country. Dr.Tomycz has also been invited to deliver an address at the annual Ukrainian Neurosurgery Conference 2017 in Kharkiv.
May 20: arrive in Kyiv, Ukraine
May 22-26: meet with area surgeons at participating centers
May 29- June 9: two week master class with Igor Kurilets MD at the International Neurosurgery Center
June 12-13: Visit to Medical Institute of Sumy State University
June 14-16: Ukrainian Neurosurgery Conference 2017 in Kharkiv
June 19-23: one week course and master class operating in complex spine and craniocervical with Ukrainian spinal surgeons and trainees from Romadanov Institute and International Neurosurgery Center
June 24-July 7: Come back to United States for two weeks
July 10-21: two week master class with Dr. Schlegov at the Neurovascular Institute
July 24-August 4: two week master class in pediatric neurosurgery with surgeons at Lviv Children’s Hospital
August 5-18: travel to out-lying centers of excellence (Stryii, Ivano-Frankivsk, Odesa)
August 21-31: operate with surgeons at Central Military Hospital and International Neurosurgery Center in Kyiv
September 15: leave Ukraine for United States
Surgical Mentors and Medical Support Staff
The best way to train surgeons is by providing hands-on mentorship and assistance in the operating room. One of the primary goals of the Co-Pilot Project is the continued recruitment of high quality surgeons from United States and Canada to spend time with Ukrainian counterparts, consulting on patients and performing procedures.
Surgical Mentors traveling to Ukraine
Jefferson Miley, MD – neurointerventionalist
Jonathan Forbes, MD – skull base neurosurgeon
Matthew Geck, MD – orthopedic spine surgeon
Not all of the healthcare volunteers will be able to travel to Ukraine but they still will play an important role from home. Utilizing contemporary technology, including live streaming of surgeries and communication via social media the medical support staff will advice and mentor Ukrainian neurosurgeons as they confront difficult cases.
Medical Support Staff
Bido Patel, MD – neuroradiologist
Chandra Krishnan, MD – neuropathologist
Ginger Harrod, MD – neuro-oncologist
Advisory Staff
Tim George, MD – pediatric neurosurgeon
Jim Rose, MD – vascular neurosurgeon
Ryan Murdoch, MD – orthopedic spine surgeon
Patrick Combs, MD – craniofacial surgeon
Nestor Tomycz, MD – functional neurosurgeon
Aaron Stayman, MD – vascular neurologist
Jim Rutka – pediatric neurosurgeon
Ben Warf – pediatric neurosurgeon
Participating Centers in Ukraine Page
Since our exploratory trip in 2016 we have identified a cohort of motivated and talented surgeons who are hungry for additional instruction and eager for collaboration.
Igor Kurilets, MD (International Neurosurgery Center)
Ivan Protsenko, MD (Romadanov Institute)
Kostiantyn Kostiuk, MD (Romadanov Institute)
Vitali Ganjuk, MD (Central Military Hospital, Kyiv)
Taras Mykytyn, MD (Lviv Children’s Hospital)
Dmytro Shcheglov, MD (Neurovascular Institute)
Luke Tomycz, MD
Dr. Luke Tomycz is the newest addition to the pediatric neurosurgical team at Dell Children’s Medical Center. Dr. Tomycz finished first in his high school class of over 200 students and attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, MA where he double-majored in biology and chemical engineering. He accepted the prestigious Dean’s Full-Tuition Scholarship to attend medical school at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor where he first developed an interest in neurosurgery. After medical school, he began his formal neurosurgical training at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN where he trained under the late Noel Tulipan, MD, a pioneer in fetal neurosurgery for myelomeningocele. During his seven-year residency, he spent two years obtaining an in-folded fellowship in endovascular surgery, becoming proficient in the treatment of aneurysms, AVMs, Moya-Moya syndrome, and complex dural AV fistulae of adults and children. After this, Dr. Tomycz spent an additional year at Seattle Children’s Hospital performing a large volume of complex epilepsy surgery with Jeff Ojemann, MD. Following an exhaustive job search, Dr.Tomycz was attracted to Austin as the city was in the process of launching a new medical school at the University of Texas.
Dr. Tomycz specializes in all aspects of pediatric neurosurgery including brain tumors, epilepsy, Chiari malformation, tethered cord syndrome, CSF shunting, and intracranial endoscopy. As one of the only dual-trained, pediatric and endovascular neurosurgeons in the country, he is particularly interested in Moya-Moya, brain aneurysms and AVMs, arteriovenous fistulae, and other complex neurovascular disorders in children as well as adults. His research interests include the use of engineering innovations to improve treatments for hydrocephalus and he has published on a wide variety of neurosurgical topics. Outside the operating room, Dr. Tomycz enjoys playing guitar and hiking in the mountains. He has travelled extensively to perform neurosurgery and take part in short-term medical mission work – in Cuba, Kenya, Honduras, Ecuador, and Ukraine.
Dr. Tomycz grew up with four grandparents who told stories of their youth and taught their grandchildren the language of their homeland – Ukraine. His parents were both born in refugee camps following the second world war, and came to this country in the early 1950s with virtually nothing. His father excelled in academics and went into medicine, and both Luke and his brother Nestor followed suit, pursuing a career in neurosurgery. During a long period of study and training that lasted more than 15 years, Luke resolved to return to the homeland of his grandparents and provide the kind of high quality care that children receive in the United States.
Mariya Soroka
In 2014 at the peak of protests in the Maidan, Mariya joined several fellow Ukrainians living in New York City to create Razom, a young, energetic, and progressive start-up which seeks to amplify the voice of Ukraine to an American audience. An active member of the board, she is responsible for organizing cultural events as well as cooperating with government representatives, activists, and various civic groups and human rights organizations in support of Ukraine’s quest for democracy.
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Mariya is also heavily involved with fundraising for Razom’s projects via crowdsourcing, charity events, and online petitions. After graduating from Penn State University with a BA in Advertising and Public Relations and a dual minor in Entrepreneurship and International Studies, Mariya spent over 5 years in Manhattan working within the content marketing industry. She believes in the enormous potential of dedicated volunteers around the world working to rebuild Ukraine one project at a time.
Mariana Magala
Mariana Magala was born in Lviv, Ukraine. She graduated from The University of Chicago in 2013 and holds a B.A. in Economics and Slavic Languages and Literature. Currently, Mariana is a Strategic Analytics Manager at Interline Brands (subsidiary of The Home Depot) in Jacksonville, Florida. She specializes in analytics, business strategy, and nonprofit development. Mariana was the co-chair of a pro-bono consulting group for nonprofits in Chicago for 3 years and is currently the treasurer for a young professionals group at MOSH (Museum of Science and History in Jacksonville).
Mariana joined Razom’s Neurosurgical initiative in 2016. She is very excited to collaborate with the team and develop the initiative into a highly successful program.
