As you all know, the Russian invasion of Ukraine is being a human tragedy. Hundreds of Ukrainian children with rare diseases have had to stop their treatment because of the war. They are now refugees in Poland and urgently need our help.

Many of the hospitals and organizations in Poland are not only trying to provide medical care to a significant population influx but are also trying to serve the many children with rare genetic diseases who have unique needs.

These on-the-ground efforts aim to ensure that these refugee children with very specific medical and nutritional needs due to their rare diseases are immediately able to access care and are treated properly with no delay and at no cost.

In many cases, the little lives of these children depend on this continuity of care and specialized food and medical support. It is in that light that we reach out to you today: Ukrainian children need our immediate help and support.

Together with Columbus Children’s Foundation and Fundación Columbus, we have stepped in to help coordinate fundraising to financially support organizations in Poland directly working to help refugee children with rare diseases and we evaluate all requests to ensure we place funds for the greatest and most immediate humanitarian effect.

We focus contributions on organizations that directly support ensuring transport and access to medicines for children still in Ukraine or those that aid Ukrainian refugee children with rare disorders who have fled to Poland and need very specific medical care. In many cases, these children were taken from their homes quickly without their critical daily life equipment and medicines and do not have any belongings when arriving in Poland. We will be using those funds raised to ensure these children have the medicines, the care, the housing, and their specialized nutrition and medical needs fulfilled.

Through our on-the-ground contacts, we have identified some organization’s doing great work and through generous contributions of quick-acting donors, we have already given financial assistance to the following organizations and with your help, we can do more.

• Krajowe Forum Na Rzecz Terapii Chorób Rzadkich – helping provide medicines and specialty food for Ukrainian refugee children in Poland and medical transports to Ukraine specifically aimed toward medically fragile children with rare diseases still in the country who have no access to medicines or the food they need for their specific health needs and survival.
• Fundacji PPMD – funds are specifically going to assist children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and their families who are under the care of the organization and who arrived in Poland with only a satchel full of papers and none of their significant medical equipment or medicines.
• Fundacja Instytutu Matki i Dziecka – funds aimed at assisting children with rare metabolic disorders and their families to access the care and specialized foods they need while refugees in Poland. Specifically, there is a $50,000 need to help fund their specialized foods and medicines for 3 months with a likelihood that this will need to double in scope.
  
  Fundacja Wspierania Rozwoju Ja Tez – funds will help Ukrainian refugee children with down syndrome and their families with housing, finances, legal support, and items for their everyday needs.

At Viralgen, we have launched an internal campaign. For every euro donated by our employees, our company will double it and contribute another euro.

If you are also moved to help these children, you can do so in these ways:

1. Contributing to the targeted account for Ukrainian Children found at Ukrainian Children – Columbus Children’s Foundation.
2. Clicking on the following link on the Fundación Columbus website and make your donation indicating in the concept UCRANIA X2.

Thank you for any help you can provide, and please share with your network as we need as much help as possible!

These actions directly fit the mission of Columbus Children’s Foundation, Fundación Columbus, and Viralgen to ensure children are not left behind because of their rare diseases. We are very grateful to contribute to the cause and help those who need it most.