Malin Mov.2009

Two days before leaving I received an email from my friend in Ukraine telling me that I should get vaccinated against swine flu. Ukraine was experiencimg a pandemic,this was the first I had heard about this happening in Ukraine.However all my arrangements were made and for the sake of the hospital children I could not alter my plans they needed my help and I had to ignore the risk and go.When I arrived at Kiev's Borispol Airport all the passport control people were wearing masks just like the cabin crew had been wearing. It was a bit worrying, when my friend collected me at the airport, I saw many masked citizens on the way to his apartement. Later I was told that Schools,Universities,Colleges,Cinemas and Theatres, along with markets had been closed due to the Quarantine Restrictions.On our arrival at the hospital everything was under Quarantine and we had special permission to enter.I was able to buy medicines,small electric room heaters,cleaning materials, paper for their computer which I had bought some years earlier, I also paid their internet for another year. I bought a fridge to keep food for the children fresh. Unfortunately because of the Quarantine I was not allowed to go to villages or orphanages. Bohdan Sobolevski the wee boy abandoned in the hospital 2 years ago, reunited with his mother last year had been brought down to Malin by his mother for a health check,and he looks better wearing some of his new clothing bought with money left with my friend Anatoil Artemenko by Danny Livingston last year when he filmed my work at the hospital, thank you Danny.At the hospital a young man had died due to a mutated swine flu virus that totally destroyed his lungs. I kept away from my grandchildren on my return as a precaution just in case.
The new beds and equipment I have supplied over the years are very much appreciated by Doctors,nurses and parents of the children,but there is still a lot to be done.