Albertans in Poland offering aid to Ukrainian refugees
James Puckrin, the owner of ACESO Medical, is in Warsaw, Poland, to offer support in whatever way he can.
“When we heard about the war that broke out, we thought it was a moral imperative, as a medical company, to support it to the best of our ability,” said Puckrin. “With the lack of access to medicine, medical care, insulin (specifically), we wanted to come over to see if there's anything we could do as a larger organization.”
Puckrin, and Catherine Erofeeva, a licensed practical nurse with ACESO Medical, left Alberta on March 10. Since then, their days have been spent offering aid to Ukrainian refugees, and building relationships with people at various different camps, locations, and borders to better understand what type of help is needed.
“The first day was a little bit of border running for ourselves, going directly into Ukraine to deliver the insulin we brought over from Canada,” said Puckrin. “At least for the foreseeable future, due to the danger associated with Ukraine, it's mostly logistics to provide support.”
Part of that support is food delivery.
“Last week, we just provided five tonnes of food to western camps within Ukraine,” he said.
(Supplied/helptoukraine.ca)
Since the start of Russia’s ongoing invasion on Feb. 24, Ukrainans have fled their country.
“(I hope people) realize how much of a travesty this is and how much people are actually suffering over there,” said Puckrin. “And, how painful it is for a lot of these people to physically have to not only leave their home, but leave a portion of their family, knowing that they're going to be back home fighting for their country.”
The UN reported three million people have left as of March 15, with the majority seeking asylum in Poland.
“As much as people might want me to say that we're seeing people break down and cry. You're seeing a little of that. We're actually seeing more resilience from the Ukrainian people more than anything else,” said Puckrin.
ACESO Medical plans to cycle staff in and out of Poland, for as long as they can.
“This is not going to end when the war ends,” said Puckrin. “There's going to be an incredible rebuilding effort.”
For Canadians hoping to help, Puckrin is urging people to do their research and donate to reputable organizations.
To stay up-to-date with ACESO Medical’s efforts overseas, and information on how to support their initiative, click here.
With files from the Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.