Two instruments produced by Genadyne Biotechnologies, Stryker Corporation and Zimmer Biomet were the prime medical request from the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Ukrainian National Foundation President Wasyl Sheremeta explained the significance of their timely use, both in combat and in hospitals. He said that, during the U.S. Civil War, the number one cause of death was infection.
The negative pressure wound therapy pump addresses this problem by means of a powerful pump which can be applied to the largest of wounds for extended periods of time. It offers variable intensity settings to combat sepsis. It can be reused as needed, and is literally a lifesaver on the battlefield.
The second device is an external fixator. Bullets and explosions shatter limbs, breaking bones into many smaller pieces. A traditional cast by itself is insufficient. External fixators are metal devices which are attached with threaded wires and pins through the skin to the bones, thus providing stability as the fragments reattach and heal. It is used to reduce pressure on a joint, gradually straighten a deformed bone and it can even lengthen a bone.
Through her relationships with these manufacturers and many hospitals, Valentyna Tabaka arranged for an extremely low purchase price of less than $2,000 for either the wound vacuum or the external bone fixator device. Also, she coordinated with the Paul Chester Childrens’ Hope Foundation to provide free delivery of these items to Ukraine. She continues to enable many Ukrainian diaspora organizations to purchase these items.
Dr. Sheremeta lauded Ms. Tabaka for all of her hard work arranging partnerships with the manufacturers, and for helping raise more than $500,000 for the cause. At the time of this writing, over 500 vacuum units and more than 1,000 bone fixators have been sent to Ukraine.