PARK RIDGE—Two East Brook Elementary School fourth graders, backed by a generous school community, recently made a lovely gift to a children’s hospital in Ukraine.
Caroline Parks and Devon Stine decided to run a fundraiser to help children who are being treated in the ravaged country, at Ohmatdyt Hospital. They raised more than $300 on sales of cookies, brownies, and homemade loom jewelry, and donated the proceeds.
Ohmatdyt Hospital says it’s the largest children’s hospital in Ukraine, where up to 20,000 children are treated annually and some 10,000 surgeries are performed annually. The need, of course, is greater because of Russian president Vladimir Putin’s invasion.
Jennifer Parks tells Pascack Press, “Caroline and Devon started by making loom jewelry. They made bracelets and necklaces in various colors and styles. As they got closer to the sale, they started packaging dozens of cookies and brownies. On Thursday, April 20, the girls set up a table outside of their school at dismissal and with the support of East Brook principal Kevin Stokes, put-up signs advertising their fundraiser. They invited entire school to purchase their treats and jewelry.
Parks says the response from the school community was overwhelming. “People were impressed by the girls’ dedication and willingness to help others. Many people bought multiple items and donated even more money than the asking price. Caroline and Devon were thrilled by the success of their fundraiser and after only one afternoon they sold out of the cookies and brownies and most of the jewelry.”
She says Caroline and Devon were excited to discover that they had raised more than $300. “The funds raised by Caroline and Devon will go to helping the hospital purchase much-needed medical equipment and supplies.”
And she says, “Caroline and Devon’s fundraiser is an excellent example of how small acts of kindness can make even a difference in the lives of others. These two young girls show that anyone, no matter their age, can make a positive impact on the world.”
On April 24, the 425th day of Putin’s invasion, the Guardian reported, “Russia has switched to defensive positions in all its areas of combat apart from Bakhmut, according to the Ukrainian head of intelligence Kyrylo Budanov.”
In an interview with RBC Ukraine, Budanov said: “The only places on the frontline where they are making attempts are in the city of Bakhmut, an attempt to cover the city of Avdiivka from the north, and localized fighting in the city of Marinka. Both in Avdiivka and Marinka the tactics are identical to those in Bakhmut – just an attempt to wipe the settlement off the face of the earth.”
Ohmatdyt Hospital’s website [Ohmatdyt.com] gives heartbreaking stories, among them:
- The story of little Illya from Mariupol: the mother of a 10-year-old boy died in his arms, and the child was taken to the territory not controlled by Ukraine; May 15, 2022.
- The story of 10-year-old Ilya Matvienko is, unfortunately, one of the many stories of Mariupol children.
- The story of 12-year-old Kira from Mariupol: Russians killed her father and abducted the wounded girl to the territory not controlled by Ukraine; May 3, 2022. (“At the age of just 12, Kira has been through a lot. She lost her mother in early childhood. Then, her native Mariupol was destroyed by war. The girl’s father, former captain of the Ukrainian national water polo team Yevhen Obedinsky, was shot dead in front of his daughter. […]”
- “I thought my leg was torn off, but I was more worried about my son and wife.” A wounded family from Chernihiv is being treated in Ohmatdyt; April 8, 2022. The son of Natalia and Oleksandr, Daniel, is only 6 years old.
- The war doesn’t let patients get timely diagnosis: Ohmatdyt doctors rescue a child with intestinal pathology; March 31, 2022.