The leaders of two U.S. health care companies, whose wound care products are being used to treat soldiers and civilians in Ukraine, said they’ve seen hope in the eyes of severely injured patients in the war-torn country.
During a Thursday press conference, John Daniel, co-founder of ProgenaCare Global, and Kristopher Perkins, managing director of PhaseOne Health, discussed their March trip to Ukraine. The two traveled there to train doctors, nurses and medical students in the application of a medicine and disinfecting wound-cleaning solution for injuries.
Daniel and Perkins delivered $3 million worth of the wound care medicines and dressing made by their companies and Datt MediProducts as part of the humanitarian efforts of HelpingUkraine.US.
The men said they spent six days in Ukraine visiting with first responders and medics at hospitals. They were escorted by Rotarians from the local Rotary Club.
“What we saw, its traumatic” Perkins said. “But it’s also a great sense of hope.”
The wounded have been hit with rocket launches, grenades and bombs designed with metal wire inside, Daniel added.
“A lot of these patient’s couldn’t smile because so many, their jaw and lower face had been destroyed,” Daniel said. “But it was their eyes, you could see their eyes smiling. Eyes of despair would perk up (when we came in.)”
Dr. Mitsuk Serhii, a general surgeon, was one of two Ukrainian doctors participating in the virtual press conference. He said that despite severe wounds many soldiers want to be treated quickly so they can return to the war.
“It is wonderful when we have help from other countries and of course the U.S.,” he said. “… (You) help us to treat soldiers to fight again. They don’t want to go home because some of them lost their home. All of them want to fight and win”
Serhii said he saw results from the wound care medicines ProgenaMatrix and PhaseOne and will be training other physicians in their application.
Daniel and Perkins visited with patients that were not being treated with their medicines.
“…Because it meant a lot to them,” Daniel said. “Seeing us there was symbolic and relayed, ‘The U.S. is here for you and supports you.’”
Bert Jones, chairman of ProgenaCare Global, said in a statement, “To date, our products have only been used in peacetime. We are honored to have the opportunity to help these wonderful physicians heal the victims of this historic tragedy.”
Emory Morsberger, a former state representative, started HelpingUkraine.US last summer following a two-week trip to the country. He traveled there on behalf of Friends of Disabled Adults and Children (FODAC, a leading provider of refurbished home medical equipment) to deliver more than $1 million worth of medical equipment. He returned determined to do what he could to help the people of the country.
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