By Dr Christos Kostalos | Project Leader
Humanitarian Volunteer Report _ by Dr Christos Kostalos
Dear friends of “KID & FAMILY” efforts
All my life, I have been a doctor and a volunteer. A father author of many books in negnology.
At the end of my report, I have included a brief CV as an invitation for you to meet volunteers and networks of humanitarian help, exchange volunteer and scientific experience, and support people affected by natural disasters and by my second field of expertise, Parental Alienation.
I became a pensioner, but I am honored to have met Roumpini Terzaki and her foundation, the network she built up and the charity, She inspired me to work for the last seven years with KID & FAMILY, after the loss of 1 of my beloved daughters.
So i am grateful i can share my experience helping Kid & Family and HUMANS UNITED GLOBALLY network she made for PARENTAL alienation , dedicated to her beloved sister Alexandra and her niece Laoura.
My duties at KID & FAMILY include:
I am also part of the physician oversight team for the KID & FAMILY Network for Narcissistic Abuse and Parental Alienation.
After 45 years as a doctor and teacher at medical universities in different countries, I cannot remember ever feeling more useful than I do when supporting KID & FAMILY, either during weather-related disasters or when supporting adults and children who have experienced abuse.
My worst cases were always fire victims or parents experiencing Parental Alienation.
It is a continuous death, in both cases.
Everything is falling into disarray.
Even the soul and the spirit. So cruel.
Summer 2026 – Working on the Ground During the Wildfires in GreeceWHAT WE DID
Area: Psatha, 67 km from Athens – August 2026
Giorgos Ntoulas, a flight doctor and surgeon, was volunteering in the Psatha area when two firefighting helicopters collided during a firefighting operation.
I was among the first to reach the scene. One of the helicopters had crashed, been torn apart, and was engulfed in flames. The firefighters were trying to contain the fire.
We went in as reinforcements.
What we witnessed was a scene of absolute devastation.
Even as a doctor, it was extremely difficult to remain calm and do what I had trained and worked for years to do: try to save human lives.
“The firefighters were pouring water to contain the flames so that I could go inside and free the people. I didn’t know exactly where they were. We could only hear them.
Roumpini was in front.
We dragged her back as she was hardly breathing, into better conditions.
There was fire, smoke, and toxic gases from the burning aircraft fuselage and fuel. They are extremely dangerous because they can cause thermal and chemical burns and, if inhaled over a very short period, can be fatal.”
During the summer 2026 wildfire emergencies, I coordinated the volunteer doctors participating in the humanitarian response of KID & FAMILY.
OUR Skills_____________________________Our work was organised through three complementary areas:
The three of us worked closely together, maintaining direct communication between medical needs, psychological support, food assistance and fundraising.
Medical Observations _______________________________________During wildfire emergencies, I identified several major health risks:
The continuous presence and availability of medical volunteers was particularly important for firefighters, rescuers and residents exposed to smoke, extreme heat and prolonged physical exertion.
The medical teams of KID & FAMILY, together with the Hellenic Red Cross, contributed to the wider emergency medical response by providing medical support and facilitating timely assessment and care when required.
Firefighters, Rescuers and Volunteers ________________________________From my experience, firefighters and rescuers cannot operate safely for prolonged periods under extreme conditions without appropriate medical support being available.
Continuous medical care does not replace the work of firefighters or rescue services; rather, it provides an essential safety and health-support framework that allows them to continue their demanding operations.
Mental Health and Humanitarian Coordination ___________________________
Roumpini Terzaki coordinated the mental-health teams and the organisation of food and essential assistance.
Her work connected psychological support with the practical needs of affected residents and families. This was particularly important for people experiencing displacement, loss of property, fear and uncertainty.
Fundraising__________________________________________________________
Frederick GEORGIOU (conte di Messina): coordinated the fundraising component of our response.
He personally participated in benefit performances and fundraising events during the summer, generating financial resources that could be directed towards humanitarian needs.
This was particularly important in 2026 because the international economic situation has made fundraising increasingly difficult and charitable donations have declined.
The Importance of Our Cooperation ________________________________________The cooperation between the three of us produced rapid practical results.
Medical coordination, mental-health and food assistance, and fundraising operated together rather than as isolated activities.
This allowed us to respond more quickly to the needs of:
residents and affected families;
firefighters and rescuers;
volunteers;
people requiring medical attention;
people experiencing acute psychological distress.
The relatively limited number of fatalities in comparison with the scale of several wildfire emergencies cannot be attributed to one organisation or one group alone. However, I consider the immediate availability of medical teams—including KID & FAMILY volunteers and the Hellenic Red Cross—an important component of the broader emergency response and of protecting residents, firefighters and rescuers.
Conclusion _+________________________My experience during the summer 2026 fires confirmed to me that an effective humanitarian response requires medical care, psychological support, essential supplies and fundraising to operate together.
The rapid cooperation between me, Roumpini and Frederick enabled KID & FAMILY to mobilise medical professionals, mental-health teams, food assistance and financial resources quickly.
For me, this cooperation demonstrated the value of a coordinated humanitarian structure in which every team contributes a different but essential part of the emergency response.
This team is my favorite. I count them as a family, as we have achieved the impossible many times together.
To reach the fire and come back alive, with the car full of injured people.
This family is precious to me. I invite you to share with me this precious “family” of the KID & FAMILY Board of Trustees.
Most of the time, we are the ones who finance all the actions, as donations become smaller and smaller every year.
It is a pleasure, but we need and greatly appreciate a helping hand from you too!
Warm regards,
Join our team in Greece.
Christos
Contact me at hugpoint@gmail.com
Dr Christos Kostalos
Medical Volunteer Coordinator
KID & FAMILY – Παιδ & Οικογνει
CHRISTOS KOSTALOS, MD, PhD
Paediatrician – Neonatologist – Professor of Paediatrics – Researcher – Awards
Greek Paediatrician born in Alexandria Egypt, Neonatologist, Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Athens and former Director of the Neonatal Department of Alexandra Hospital, Athens.
He obtained his Doctoral Degree in Medicine from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens in 1977, with research focused on neonatal nutrition.
His early scientific career included research at the University of Aberdeen and Aberdeen Maternity Hospital, Scotland, focusing on neonatal nutrition, gastric emptying and the feeding of premature and low-birth-weight infants.
He subsequently served in the Department of Neonatal Medicine of the Regional General Hospital of Piraeus and later became Director of the Neonatal Department of Alexandra Hospital.
He served as President of the Hellenic Society of Perinatal Medicine (1996–1997).
His scientific work spans several decades and includes prematurity, neonatal nutrition, neonatal intensive care, gastrointestinal function, probiotics and neonatal complications.
He is also the author of major Greek medical textbooks, including Neonatology (1996), Emergency Management of the Problematic Newborn (1993) and High-Risk Newborn (2005).
Role in KID & FAMILY: Medical Volunteer Coordinator and Coordinator of Medical Support.
FREDERICK GERGIOU (Conte di Messina) A fundraiser for KID & FAMILY. It is an honor to have this famous musician and philanthropist on our team. He lost his child to Parental Alienation.She is the pieceful power and the soul of “KID & FAMILY”, having dedicated all of her efforts to her daughter until she is free and find the way back.She ispires all of us with her knowlege, courage and patience. A brave, artistic personality. MD psychology on trauma, Sociology numerous of researches, Classical Music her profession, Volunteer on Earthqueakes, Specialized on inspiring people, mostly mother to all of our teams.She is the only person among doctors that kids trust the most.
NORA KOTROZINI: Our accounting assistant, who follows us at missions, mostly like a spy, making sure we sign properly and collect all delivery notes for the goods we deliver to fire victims.Links:
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