Loading contiainer April 15, 2005

Another Forty foot LifeNets Container On Its Way to Ukraine
on April 19, 2005 from Indianapolis, Indiana
Loaded by Dedicated Volunteers on April 15th and 17th

For almost ten years we have been helping the "Revival" Centre of Medical Social Rehabilitation of Disabled Children in Chernihev, Ukraine. It is located about 40 miles east of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. This unique, for Ukraine, rehabilitation center was established by three doctors devoted to victim children of Chernobyl. They decided to establish the first children's rehabilitation center in Ukraine that goes beyond giving just medical help. It helps the children develop confidence and skills to integrate into society's mainstream. Dr. Vasil Pasichnyk was the head pediatrician in Chernobyl at the time of the nuclear accident in 1986 and heads the Center. In June of 2001 we celebrated the fifth anniversary of his work.

This load contained a lot of valuable and much needed items including a mammogram machine, portable x-ray machine and a bone densitometer donated by the Indianapolis Breast Center. We loaded three tons of rubber matting for a play area at the Center. Dr. Pasichnyk saw this material at St. Vincent's Children's Hospital in Indianapolis and we are glad that we can provide it for disabled children who now can use the play area safely. There are 15 wheelchairs, mostly pediatric for children with cerebral palsy.

There were many other items loaded that are better told by the photos. They came from Jim Watters, Warren and Joan Ott, Clarian Medical, Rotary Club of Indianapolis NE and many other Rotarians, Dr. Janet Pole, Dr. Kevin Deardorf, Mike and Jamie Snyder, many private donations of wheelchairs. Thanks to everyone who helped support this project.

We thank Peine Engineering, particularly Rich and Tom Peine for granting us the warehouse space to collect, store and stage the loading fo the container. We know that some items had to be stored for a considerable time before shipping. Tom Peine had suffered a stroke in St. Louis less than a week before the container was to leave, but thankfully he is doing well. We want to thank volunteers came from United Church of God in Indianapolis and Lafayette, IN, Park Tudor High School, Butler University, and Boy Scouts.

Finally we thank Counterpart in Washington D.C. who arranged shipping through the Department of State as part of the "Operation Provide Hope" program.

This container leaves Indianapolis by truck on April 19th; then leaves Newark by ship to Odessa on April 26th arriving there on May 15th and then goes by truck to the final destination at the "Revival" Centre on about May 22nd.

Putting a container together is a lot of work and we again thank EVERYONE who took part in this job that will directly benefit hundreds of disabled children in Ukraine. Some of the equipment will benefit hundreds of women at the Women's Hospital, the Regional Hospital and the Children's Polyclinic Number 2 in Chernihev.