After a 3167km journey from Edinburgh, Elvira Dmitrieva – the Treasurer of Sunflower Scotland – delivered the “MacCarley Frontline Ambulance” to help Ukraine’s 151st TRO Fire Support Battalion. They suffered a very hard time in Bakhmut, now the are defending their homeland in the north of Kharkiv Oblast’. The vehicle was equipped with a resuscitation machine and a stretcher bed. It was packed with 79 kg (15 boxes) of high-quality medical supplies: israeli bandages, wound dressings, breathing masks etc., as well as thousands of men’s socks.
Sincere thanks to Prehospital Care & Aid Worldwide for preparing the ambulance and donating the medical supplies.
Our cordial thanks and respect to Mark MacCarley for sponsoring the vehicle.
Our great appreciation and thanks to members of Tranent Parish Church for collecting socks and other important supplies.
“This wasn’t a typical used ambulance written off by the NHS. This was a purpose-build ambulance, created from scratch by paramedics.”
Oleg Dmitriev, Chairman
The process
As before, Sunflower Scotland delivered the ambulance to those who need it most near the front line. We followed the whole journey. First, we contacted Prehospital Care & Aid Worldwide (PCAW) – a specialist paramedic and disaster recovery charity based in Ipswich. Michael, Adam and Joss, paramedics and founders of PCAW, worked with us to understand our requirements: where the ambulance will be used, by whom, and what is needed. We explained that it will be used in the Yellow Zone. It will bring the wounded to the place of First Aid, and after that transport them to a mainland hospital.
The guys went on to work and converted our standard Ford Transit into a proper frontline ambulance.
But that’s not all: they donated tons of bandages, wound dressings and other life-saving supplies. We cannot thank Michael, Adam and Joss enough for their highly professional input.
Elvira Dmitrieva, the Treasurer of Sunflower Scotland, decided to drive the vehicle to Ukraine. Elvira is finance manager in real life, she has been living in Edinburgh for over twelve years. She took the ambulance all the way from Edinburgh to Tsurkuny (Kharkiv Oblast’), and handed it over to medics of the 151st battalion.
IMPORTANT: we work in 100% compliance with British and Ukraine laws. Our vehicles have proper insurance and customs paperwork. We do not cut corners.
Elvira:
Not too long ago I was buying great Italian wines from the Edinburgh warehouse and making friends with Oleg. Now I’m sitting in amazement knowing how you have driven the special ambulance to Ukraine. I know how deeply his four similar journeys affected Oleg and that makes your own travels even more remarkable. You are both enormously brave people whom it’s a privilege to know even at a long distance! I wish there were something I could do to actively involve myself.
With people from all countries working as you and Oleg have been doing, the deranged monster that is Putin stands no chance of any further “success”.
Khay zhyve Ukrayina. I moya velyka shana Vam i Olehu.. Long live Ukraine. And my great respects to you and Oleg.
Allan Friswell