January 2025 Update
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January 30
Getting a new shipment of medical supplies ready. No space in the garage again.
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January 27
On November 1st and 13th and December 7th we sent three shipments, 6, 10, and 7 boxes, weighing a total of917lbs, to Kharkiv. Our partners in Kharkiv "Благодійний фонд БО "ЄВРОПЕЙСЬКІ ТРАДИЦІЇ ДОБРОЧИННОСТІ" have provided a photo report confirming the receipt of the shipment. All medical supplies have been distributed to frontline medics and local hospitals.
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January 25
“Am I going to keep my other leg?”
His right leg ended in a stump just above the knee, hastily wrapped, the bandages already soaked through in spots. His left leg—whole but covered in gauze— was the only thing standing between him and total despair. He’d been gravely injured earlier that morning when an explosive FPV drone targeted his position - detonating not far from his feet. He managed to get tourniquets on both legs before losing consciousness.
“Is my friend going to be okay, was he in another ambulance?” he asked, his voice steady but strained.
We can’t tell him, because we do not know. Nobody we ask does.
This is what “lucky” looks like here. Despite the constant threat of more drones overhead, he was quickly evacuated to a stabilization point. There, he received a blood transfusion and a crucial tourniquet conversion that likely saved him and his remaining leg.
Ukrainian men don’t like to admit when they’re in pain, let alone soldiers. He tells me, ‘I can stand it.’ I tell him, ‘Не вагайся, брате—don’t hesitate brother, tell us and we’ll give you something. He nods his head.
We gave him pain medication to dull the agony and performed a neurological exam to see if his remaining leg had a chance. Circulation, sensation, and movement all came back good.
When we told him his leg would be okay, his face broke into a slight smile. For just a moment, the exhaustion, the horror, and the pain seemed to lift. The war is over for him. Wounded, but alive.
He pulled out photos of his wife and kids. Smiling faces on a phone screen—a quiet reminder of what he was fighting for.
Here’s a look at our patients since the last update, working in collaboration with our partners in the East:
1. 27-year-old male: Traumatic amputation of the right lower leg.
2. 29-year-old male: Severe shrapnel trauma to both lower extremities, hemorrhagic shock, and fracture of the right lower leg.
3. 53-year-old male: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by an explosion, and trauma to the left arm.
4. 50-year-old male: Penetrating wound to the right shoulder.
5. 35-year-old male: Penetrating injury to the abdomen from shrapnel.
6. ~40-year-old male: Fracture of the right femur, complicated by hemorrhagic shock and a ruptured spleen with intra-abdominal bleeding.
7. ~30-year-old male: Trauma to the right leg from bullet fragments.
8. 47-year-old male: Fractured right thigh from multiple gunshot wounds.
9. 45-year-old male: Traumatic brain injury (TBI).
10. 51-year-old male: Facial injury with abdominal trauma.
11. 49-year-old male: Pneumonia with difficulty breathing.
12. 45-year-old male: Shrapnel wounds to the chest (not penetrating), buttocks, and leg.
13. 40-year-old male: Traumatic brain injury (TBI).
14. 50-year-old male: Shrapnel wounds to the hand and leg.
15. 45-year-old male: Traumatic brain injury (TBI).
16. 27-year-old male: Gunshot wound to the heel.
17. 43-year-old male: Traumatic brain injury (TBI).
18. 46-year-old male: Pneumonia.
19. 51-year-old male: Abdominal trauma.
20. 37-year-old male: Gunshot wound to the heel.
21. ~50-year-old male: Traumatic brain injury (TBI).
22. 40-year-old male: Kidney problems.
23. 38-year-old male: Pneumonia.
24. 45-year-old male: Seizures and TBI.
25. 37-year-old male: Pneumonia.
Back at the forward operating base with our partners, the faraway echo of artillery is a constant reminder of the fight that rages on.
As this rotation winds down in five days, we’re already gearing up for the next. Our two ambulances have been delivered and are being outfitted for MEDEVAC work. These new additions will give us the ability to expand our reach and deploy larger teams.
Soon, we’ll deploy a dedicated MEDEVAC crew and a CASEVAC team on February 15th to two different areas of the frontline, ready to face the chaos head-on. The work never stops, and neither can we.
Follow along and support us as we continue to expand our capacity to deliver care where it’s needed most. Together, we save lives.
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January 18
The first three days of our rotation in the East are now in the books, with this assignment only the first of the many to come in locations around the country. For this one, we’ve been tasked to provide MEDEVAC from stabilization points to larger trauma centers. Each trip with one patient lasts over 5 hours.
For some of the new combat medics on our crew - Yaroslav and “British Ben”, it’s their first real taste of ambulance work after graduating from the course —getting a feel for the rhythm, the intensity, and the many sleepless nights.
Here’s a snapshot of the patients we’ve cared for so far:
1. 37-year-old male: Fractured left leg near the knee and shrapnel wound to the right thigh.
2. 35-year-old male: Compressed and fractured vertebrae from a fall, with a concussion.
3. 48-year-old male: Penetrating trauma to the right flank.
4. 27-year-old male: Shrapnel wounds to both lower extremities with a fractured knee.
5. 45-year-old female: Kidney failure.
6. 30-year-old male: Shrapnel wounds to the right upper thigh.
7. 42-year-old male: Maxillo-facial trauma with shrapnel injuries and an open fracture of the right upper arm.
8. 54-year-old male: Mild traumatic brain injury (TBI), nausea, and vomiting.
9. 21-year-old male: Burn on the left thigh and displaced fracture in the hand.
10. ~50-year-old male: Cardiac - Rapid A-Fib.
11. ~50-year-old male: Neck injury, possible cervical spinal fracture.
12. ~50-year-old male: Shrapnel wounds to both lower extremities.
13. 37-year-old male: Penetrating chest trauma with difficulty breathing (+chest tube)
Crews administered medication for pain and nausea management, placed IV lines, provided oxygen, monitored vital signs, and performed E-FAST ultrasound exams (used to search for hidden internal injuries), among other treatments.
Every team needs a boss. Enter Kyle. A kitten sent to us like a gift from the universe—or maybe Aleks Medic, who we’re suspecting sent him to keep us in line. Kyle is small, scrappy, and absolutely in charge. He’s the kind of boss you can’t argue with because he doesn’t bother with explanations. He’s got his priorities: head scratches, naps in warm spots, and attacking his mortal enemy - the doormat (video included).
So here we are, three days down, many more to go. We know this rotation is the warm-up act, but soon enough, we’ll get closer to the action, the stakes will rise, and the work will get messier, faster, and a lot more dangerous. Until then, we’ll keep grinding, the rookies will keep learning, and we’ll keep reporting to Kyle (and whatever listening device Alex has put inside).
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January 15
All three of our ambulances have arrived in Kyiv! <Bianca>, the Italian T4, has been fully equipped, stocked, and placed in serviced.
She is now immediately heading out with a crew of four on a MEDEVAC rotation in Ukraine’s East.
A special introduction: This is Devi, an experienced Ukrainian paramedic who has just joined our team and will be joining us on this rotation. We are so grateful to have her expertise as we head into our first mission since getting back on the ground.
Here are Ben, Devi, Yasya, and Ray, standing in the snow in front of the Kyiv sign on the Brovary Highway, preparing to drive to Poltava and pick up our second REB system. Big thanks to Hunter for crowdfunding some of the money that made this possible.
We’ll keep you updated regularly while we’re on the road. Stay tuned for more soon
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January 12
Shipment on January 11: 6 boxes of hospital supplies sent to Odesa (Vezha), 1 to Lviv, 1 to Kharkiv
Total cost: $839.68 Total weight: 276 lbs.
Contents: hospital supplies, medical gloves, enteral feeding, BVMs, gauzes and bandages.
Special Thanks: Our gratitude goes to Irina Kalaida, Vadik Soldatov and Alexandra Obraztsova, Mrs. Jennifer Michelle, Mrs. Nettie Engrassia and Mrs. Susanne Smith for donating the medical supplies.
Also, today we did two pickups of medical supplies for the next shipment.
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January 9
If you’d told me five years ago that I’d be stocking an Italian ambulance on the streets of Kyiv, with babushkas peeking through the back doors to see what I’m up to, I’d have said you were out of your mind.
And yet, here we are. For the past two days, this has been our reality as we prepare for our first deployment since getting back on the ground. On January 15th, we’ll begin a MEDEVAC rotation out East.
Stocking Bianca has been an intense process—sorting through a mountain of supplies and ensuring we’re ready for anything, from caring for newborns to adults. As I figure out Bianca’s quirks (like a suction machine that seems to have a mind of its own), I catch myself muttering, “Damn it, Italy.” Why do they have to have different electrical sockets than the rest of Europe?!
Meanwhile, our training team has been hard at work in western Ukraine, teaching the THOR blood transfusion course at a training center we previously instructed at over 2 months ago. Thanks to new changes in Ukrainian law, combat medics can now legally administer whole blood transfusions in the field - a life-saving skill that will make a significant difference on the front lines.
Tomorrow, we’ll travel to Poltava to pick up our drone jammer (and maybe enjoy some delicious galushki while we’re there) and have equipment organizers installed to reign in the mayhem of supplies. We’ll also collect a large shipment of medical supplies outside Kyiv on Sunday.
There’s so much more to come, friends. Thank you for standing with us on this journey. Stay tuned
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January 8
Yesterday, Julia Orlova picked up a lot of medical supplies from Pawtucket and Attleboro and scheduled additional pickups in Pepperell and Attleboro. We also received a shipment of tactical medical supplies from Sasha Obraztsova and Vadik Soldatov. The next shipment is planned for this Saturday, pending the arrival of other supplies we’re currently awaiting.
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January 4
Friends, the moment is here.
For the first time in over a year, our MONKEY JUMP crew is preparing to deploy on a MEDEVAC (medical evacuation) rotation starting January 15th, followed by two more crews on February 15th — one for MEDEVAC and one for CASEVAC (casualty evacuation).
CASEVAC operations bring unique challenges and high risks, often taking us dangerously close to the front lines to rescue the wounded. To do this safely, our drone jammer is essential. Next week, we’ll travel to Poltava to pick it up and deliver surgical supplies to our partners in Kharkiv. It’s a big investment—our current budget is heavily stretched to buy one jammer - but without it, getting closer to the front simply isn’t safe.
Our training mission is in full swing. One team will head out next week to provide tactical medicine training at a unit we first worked with two months ago. On top of this, we just wrapped up teaching over 30 students in ultrasound and airway management with the Valkyrie Dorset school in Kyiv. We’re also finalizing plans to launch our Combat Medic/Corpsman (CMC) course, in partnership with Valkyrie, in early February.
We’re building a strong partnership with our partner battalion, with many of our team members now officially "on the books." Others are still waiting on paperwork.
On the vehicle logistics side, our teams have been hard at work.
<<Bianca>> is almost ready to roll after repairs. Over the next 10 days, we’ll pack her with critical supplies for her maiden mission.
<<Olenka>> will make her way from Lviv to Kyiv next week to join the fleet.
And what makes my paramedic heart truly happy? A shipment of 10 intraosseous (IO) needles just arrived from our stock in the States. For patients in severe shock, when veins collapse, these needles allow us to access the bone marrow directly to administer blood, fluids, and drugs. They are expensive, but priceless when lives are on the line.
This shipment also included hypothermia prevention wraps, another lifesaving tool. When a trauma patient is cold, their blood can't clot effectively—a dangerous combination in these freezing temperatures. As I write this, it is very cold.
Thank you for being part of this journey. Your support makes all of this possible. Together, we’re saving lives, one step at a time.
