Wheels of life. Neonatal Ambulance

The “Wheels of Life” project is a national Ukrainian initiative dedicated to equipping hospitals with modern medical transport and essential neonatal equipment to save the lives of premature and critically ill newborns. The project strengthens the capacity of healthcare facilities to respond swiftly and effectively to challenges, which are intensified by the ongoing war.

Thanks to the dedicated support of donors and partners in previous phases, the project has successfully supported 7 hospitals across the Kyiv, Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv regions, supplying 5 Neonatal Ambulances and critical medical equipment, thereby reaching over 200,000+ children annually.

Every year, thousands of children are born in Ukraine who need special medical care from the very first moments of their lives. One in ten children is born prematurely – in 2023, this will be more than 18,700 babies for whom timely medical support is critically important. The situation is even more complicated in the frontline regions, where constant shelling, stress, and difficulties in transporting infants in need of urgent care significantly increase the risks to their lives.

Key Focus of the Current Period: Critical Fundraising Campaign

In the current reporting period, our focus has shifted from immediate equipment purchases to the strategic, high-value fundraising required to acquire a specialized neonatal ambulance for the Kharkiv Regional Clinical Perinatal Center. Given the high cost of these specialized medical vehicles, procurement necessitates a prolonged period of active and focused fundraising.

The Kharkiv region, which faces continuous shelling, is in critical need of an updated fleet of neonatal transport. As evidenced by our past assistance, the Kharkiv Regional Clinical Perinatal Center is a crucial facility where life-saving equipment (incubators) previously provided by our fund is already being successfully utilized. The Kharkiv Regional Clinical Perinatal Centre needs specialised transport to save these babies – a neonatal ambulance, which in critical cases allows newborns to be quickly transported to medical centres and provided with vital care during transport.

On June 9, 2025, the Blagomay Charity Fund and the HR Brand Award Ukraine officially announced the launch of a joint fundraising project to secure a neonatal ambulance for the Kharkiv Regional Clinical Perinatal Center.

Why This Is Important:

• Increase in Premature Births: Due to stress, shelling, and shortages of medical resources, every tenth child in Ukraine is now born prematurely.
• Time is Critical: For premature babies and those with complications, every minute counts; rapid and safe transport to a specialized unit dramatically improves their chances of survival.
• Specialized Equipment: The neonatal ambulance we aim to acquire is equipped with state-of-the-art medical devices and a transport incubator, ensuring stable, life-supporting conditions during transfer.

We urge the business community, HR professionals, and all concerned individuals to support the project financially or by spreading the word, helping us secure this critically important vehicle for saving the lives of the smallest Ukrainians as quickly as possible.

Systemic Positive Feedback

The systemic positive impact of the “Wheels of Life” project on the safety and survival of newborns is systematically confirmed by touching testimonials from parents and doctors, demonstrating the long-term effectiveness of our aid.

We are pleased to share stories that attest to how previously provided equipment saves lives, underscoring the vital need for continued support, especially for the Kharkiv Regional Clinical Perinatal Center:

Impact of Previously Supplied Equipment (Incubators in Kharkiv):

1. Dominika's Story (2023):
   More than two years have passed since I became a mother during the war, giving birth prematurely to my daughter Dominika, weighing 1,900 grams. I want to express my deepest gratitude to the staff of the Kharkiv Regional Clinical Perinatal Center for my daughter. Thanks to the coordinated work of highly qualified specialists, my daughter now lives a full, healthy life I also want to thank the sponsors for such necessary equipment as incubators. Without them, saving my little one would not have been possible; for my child, it was not just equipment, it was life
2. Myroslava's Story (2024):
   On June 14, 2024, I went into premature labor with a threat to both my life and my baby’s. I remember that day as if it were today. I was rushed to the regional perinatal center in critical condition... During the emergency C-section, the operating room was full of medical staff... prepared with various types of medical equipment, including the ATOM Air Incu neonatal incubator.
   We remained in the incubator for quite a long time until both of us were finally out of danger. To this day, I silently thank everyone involved in saving our lives. Most of all, I want to express my deepest gratitude to the charitable foundation for supporting the perinatal center—because of this help, tiny lives like my daughter’s can be saved. Today, nearly a year has passed... Thank you for saving our happiness
3. The Boy Who Weighed 900 Grams: I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the medical staff of the Regional Perinatal Center for saving our baby boy. Our son was born prematurely... weighing just 900 grams. What followed was a long and difficult battle for his life in the intensive care unit... We are especially thankful to the volunteers who provided the incubators—equipment that gives premature babies a real chance at life. We are endlessly grateful to all of you for our joyful, smiling boy.

Earlier this year, Blagomay delivered several neonatal ambulances to hospitals across Ukraine — the full list of vehicles, recipient hospitals and impact stories is available in our previous GlobalGiving report (see link: https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/wheels-of-life-neonatal-ambulance/reports/?subid=279034).

1. Kyiv Oblast Children's Hospital

Kyiv Oblast
- 12,000 patients annually
- Citroën Jumper Type C Neonatal Ambulance
- 3,450,000 UAH

2. St. Panteleimon Clinical Hospital

Sumy, Sumy Oblast
‍- Inpatients: 11,977 | Outpatients: 43,836
- Total patients served: 55,813
- Citroën Jumper Type C Neonatal Ambulance
- 3,450,000 UAH

3. Bilopillya City Hospital

Sumy Oblast
- Citroën Jumper Type C Neonatal Ambulance
- 3,450,000 UAH

4. Okhtyrka Central District Hospital

Sumy Oblast
- Inpatients: 9,372 | Outpatients: 114,250
- Total patients served: 123,622
- Citroën Jumper Type C Neonatal Ambulance
- 3,450,000 UAH

5. Clinical Hospital No. 5 of Sumy City Council

Sumy Oblast
- 5,000 patients annually
- Citroën Jumper Type C Neonatal Ambulance
- 3,450,000 UAH

Total value of ambulances delivered: 17,250,000

6. Regional Medical Center for Family Health

Dnipropetrovsk Oblast
‍- 3,500 patients annually
- Dual-Syringe Infusion Pump AR24+ (2 units)
- 141,525 UAH

7. Kharkiv City Children’s Hospital No. 5

Kharkiv Oblast
- 2024: Inpatients: 7,134 | Outpatients: 12,470
- Inpatients: 3,298
- BeneFusion uVP Infusion Pump (1)
Brightfield KL-5021A Enteral Feeding Pump + 30 Feeding Bag Sets
- 80,000 UAH

Coverage & Reach
Regions covered: Kyiv, Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kharkiv
Total hospitals supported: 7
Annual patient reach: 200,000+ children

Call to Action

While this reporting period did not feature major equipment purchases, our efforts were highly concentrated on preparing for our most critical current goal—the acquisition of the vital neonatal ambulance for the Kharkiv Regional Clinical Perinatal Center.

The stories shared confirm that your support delivers more than just machines—it delivers a fighting chance at life for the tiniest patients across Ukraine. 

We extend our sincere thanks to the GlobalGiving community. 

We sincerely thank you for your commitment and call upon you to join the fundraising effort for this "resuscitation on wheels," so that together we can protect the most fragile lives in a region most affected by the war.