Helping hands: Shepparton’s Belinda Moore (left) collects care packages from Wonthaggi diabetes educator Claire Gatto. Photo supplied.
A Shepparton diabetes educator has been at the forefront of a drive to help Ukrainians with type 1 diabetes manage their condition in light of the war with Russia.
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In February, three days after Russia invaded Ukraine, the idea was born when Belinda Moore realised there would be many people with the chronic condition in crisis.
“I was chatting with the chief executive of the Type 1 Foundation (Ange Liston-McCaughley) ... we were saying it must be so awful to not know when you’re going to get your next insulin or next injection needles,” she said.
She formed a connection on social media with a Polish doctor and by Easter weekend, 210 care packages arrived at the Children’s Diabetes Foundation in Warsaw.
Filled with diabetes equipment, supplies and other comfort items donated from across Australia, the packages were distributed to Ukrainians who remained in their country or had fled to Poland.
The finishing touches are now being put on a further 530 care packages, this time being sent to the Polish Diabetes Foundation.
Special delivery: The first shipment of 210 care packages outside the Children’s Diabetes Foundation in Warsaw, Poland. Photo supplied.
Ms Moore said she was “overwhelmed” by the response to the initiative, which was promoted through the Type 1 Foundation’s social media pages.
“It just blows my mind that community activities like this can be so successful,” she said.
“You keep it grassroots and it just meets the brief of what people actually need in situations of crisis.”
As well as working with the Type 1 Foundation, the project has been sponsored by the Lions Australia Diabetes Foundation, which donated $5000 for the first shipment at Easter.
Shepparton Lions Club members, including president Patsy Lansdown, have also been helping to help sort through the donations and pack boxes.
“It’s inspiring when someone goes out of their way to help people,” Ms Lansdown said.
Ready to go: The care packages contain diabetes equipment and supplies, as well as other comfort items such as toiletries and toys. Photo supplied.
In a symbolic gesture, Ms Moore has also been organising for 2000 paper cranes to be made; inspired by the story of Japanese girl Sadako Sasaki, who developed leukaemia after an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima during World War II.
Ms Moore plans to string the folded creations together and will present them to the two diabetes organisations when she visits Poland later in the year, as a symbol of peace, hope and courage.
Anyone in the Shepparton community who is interested in contributing to the paper cranes project can email Ms Moore at moore.b@unimelb.edu.au
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