A war is many things, but it is first and foremost a matter of survival
, which frequently comes down to details. Whatever Ukrainian combat medics need, from portable ultrasound machines to blood infusion systems, Alona and her Danish friends leave no stone unturned in their search.
"The people I work with now are successful Danes with big hearts, business owners, and company managers who, when they saw the horrible images from the Ukrainian border of children and women crossing in those early days, took immediate action. They personally drove their own cars to pick up families, then organized buses and took care of all practicalities in Denmark to give families a good start," Alona says.
In the third year of the full-scale war, it is especially reassuring to know that there are people who do not need any prompting to care about Ukrainians. Alona has been working with many Danes since 2014. Moreover, some of them have been steadfastly supporting Ukrainians even since the Orange Revolution in 2004.
Therefore, the recent two-plus years have not caused them any special fatigue.
"There is a small, dedicated group of activists for civil rights and democratic development in Europe who have been working with Ukraine since when the Soviet Union was disintegrating.
They are well-versed in the issues faced by post-Soviet countries. These individuals consistently attend our demonstrations, raise Ukrainian issues in parliament, and actively promote them on social media, educating civil society on the importance of supporting Ukraine. I have great respect for them."
One of these Danes, Hanne Severinsen, turned 80 this year. Hanne Severinsen has sat in the Danish Parliament for many years and is known for supporting Ukraine through many platforms. She spent over 30 years of her life advocating for this country which is so far away from her own.
Volunteers Jakob Knudsen and Jesper Lindholt have been working in support of Ukraine since 2014, bringing along their family members, friends, and colleagues and leveraging their contacts to obtain maximum support for Ukraine. Jakob mostly organized humanitarian deliveries, while Jesper concentrated on bringing used vehicles into Ukraine to support its resistance.
These mighty few are not alone.
Another group has empathized with Ukrainians since the full-scale invasion: they may not be as present at demonstrations, but they are the first to buy ambulances when needed. Some in Denmark have even developed an interest in Ukraine due to their ambitions in the European Parliament.
Whatever kept them on track, the result was much more important than the motive: their work has been key to keeping Ukraine on the public agenda in Denmark and to saving Ukrainian lives.
"So far, most of our capabilities have relied on our internal network and Danish people on our team. Usually, people from our team asked themselves "Who in my network might relate to and want to support the course?" At times we reach out to our college mates who now run companies and funds.
A call typically leads to a meeting over coffee and a short presentation. Sometimes, we receive positive feedback, though some say, 'Honestly, no thanks' or 'We are already supporting Ukraine in another way.' Some even organize support within their own companies!"
Along with what Alona calls the second wave of Danish volunteers, they became one of a few established organizations after 2022. They have permanent assistance directions and coordinate their work and life schedules around four major trips to Ukraine each year.
Although the Danish team plans its work rationally regarding productivity, it is really all about the lives of those near the front, even the details of them.
Their main focus now is on supporting medevac teams and prehospital medical stabilization points at the front.
It is a great honor for us to be even tangentially involved in their lives and work. The people there at the front are very special and dear to us, and their resources are limited. It motivates me when we work effectively, addressing actual needs and getting feedback rather than merely noting that we've sent some supplies somewhere. Our efforts need to be truly helpful and make a difference.
However, with all her experience volunteering, Alona has also seen the other side of the enterprise.
"Ukraine should not be seen as a dumping ground for unused and excess items.
For instance, we once had a unit that got sent 200,000 syringes, even though they did not need for that many, if they needed at all, and even though they may have been needed elsewhere. It's all about the wise use of resources."
By emphasizing that help means not simply sharing anything, but sharing what is truly needed with those who need it directly, Alona and her team have earned the trust of many people in Denmark. Ukrainian medics at the front never ask for more than necessary, and Alona has developed total trust in their dedication and judgment.
Thanks to direct feedback from Alona's medics, some businesses that produce items needed by Ukrainian paramedics contribute to the effort with a personal touch. They also often offer steep discounts and other favorable terms to support the cause.
"We record interviews with our paramedics, with subtitles, sharing insights into their work with the wounded. When people see the faces and hear the stories of these young paramedics and doctors, it elevates the conversation to a whole new level. It's no longer about abstract statistics or distant figures, but about real individuals -- about Anna, about Pavlo, and so on."
Combining her duties as a mother, full-time work, and volunteering, which sometimes includes the 5-day trips to the frontlines, is not even the hardest part of Alona's work. Refuses, she says, is.
We focus on consistently supporting a select group rather than spreading our efforts thin.
"This enables us to proactively prepare for seasonal demands. For instance, heat blankets were in high demand this winter. When someone has been wounded and bleeding in a trench for eight hours, this blanket is the main item after a tourniquet that will keep this person alive until medical evacuation.
Unfortunately, last winter, our medics shared heartbreaking stories of people who died in their arms, not from their wounds but from hypothermia. How can one live with that?"
This year, Alona and her colleagues are taking early action by ordering heat blankets from the United States to ensure they reach the soldiers by mid-September before a critical need develops.
In response to various needs, Alona's team has explored numerous helpful devices, creating new opportunities for combat medics. The medics, in turn, are always eager to experiment with and test new products, making the process exciting for everyone involved.
Now, Alona and her colleagues are working towards sourcing dried plasma.
"Even with available funds, dried plasma is nearly impossible to purchase due to its unique details at the moment. However, many medical units have expressed a need for it, as they believe it could save numerous lives during stabilization care."
To intersperse this text with a small sunbeam of good, we should note that sometimes Alona and her Danish colleagues manage to do things not out of necessity but to uplift those working tirelessly amidst the never-ending flow of responsibilities and losses.
"Last summer, a medic who went by the call sign Pharmacist reached out to us. It was extremely hot, and he mentioned that he needed a small refrigerator for medicine. I asked him what kind he had in mind, and he described one 'if possible' with transparent doors that he had seen somewhere and really wanted. Although it wasn't a necessity, I could tell he really had his mind set on it.
When we brought him that refrigerator, it was incredibly gratifying to see it in use every time we saw that brigade. It traveled from Druzhkivka, near Bakhmut, to Avdiivka, and is now in Kharkiv Oblast."
Alona is incredibly honored to be helping these Ukrainians whom she would otherwise never have met. Of course, it brings her joy and comfort that people in her adopted land have had her back throughout this challenging journey, fighting for distant lives as if they were their own loved ones.
Trust, empathy, generosity, and many other virtues shine through in the people who, Alona says, have always had this spark within them. Luckily for Ukraine, that light has continued to burn bright, even after all these trying years.
