Alona Lebedieva’s “Aurum” Charity Foundation: Helping Children is a Priority in Every Initiative
Date : October 3, 2024
Alona Lebedieva’s charity fund “Aurum” has been supporting medical institutions and children in Ukraine for many years.
Through numerous initiatives, the foundation creates modern and comfortable conditions for the treatment of young patients, supports Ukrainian doctors in acquiring new knowledge, and finances the treatment of Ukrainian children affected by Russian aggression in European hospitals.
With the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, the foundation expanded its activities, focusing on helping the Ukrainian army and providing humanitarian aid to the population. The Foundation actively responds to the social needs of the country, providing assistance to both medical institutions and individual patients.
The founder of the fund, Alona Lebedieva, noted: “Our main goal is to support children who find themselves in a difficult life situation. We helped Ukrainian hospitals by financing repairs, updating medical equipment, and creating modern conditions for treating children.”
Below are some of the foundation’s most impactful initiatives that have changed the lives of thousands of children.
Repair and modernisation of hospitals: creation of modern conditions for treatment of children
One of the foundation’s main projects in 2018 was the renovation of the surgical department of the Kyiv City Children’s Clinical Hospital No. 1.
At the request of the hospital’s chief physician, the foundation promptly began modernization work. Repairs were carried out, including the installation of new windows, doors, lighting, plumbing.
The water pipes were replaced, the walls and floor were lined with ceramic tiles. Functional beds were also purchased to ensure comfortable post-operative recovery of children. The department was equipped with showers and a bath.
At the same time, the Aurum Foundation actively supported other Kyiv city hospitals.
Under the “Modern hospital – healthy patient” program, several hospitals received new furniture, updated sanitary ware, and renovated premises.
Among the significant achievements is the repair of three isolated wards in the Kyiv City Children’s Infectious Disease Hospital, where new bathrooms were installed and beds were purchased.
Tetyana Kaminska, medical director of the infectious disease hospital, emphasised the importance of this assistance: “Alona Lebedieva Aurum Charitable Foundation provided us with crucial support in the recovery of the hospital, which directly affects the quality of services we provide to our patients,” she said.
Emergency assistance in critical situations
Kyiv City Children’s Infectious Disease HospitalKyiv City Children’s Infectious Disease Hospital
In addition to system support for medical institutions, the foundation also provides emergency assistance to children who find themselves in a critical situation.
One such case is young Ivan, who needed urgent neurosurgery.
The foundation quickly provided the necessary materials, which made it possible to perform the operation on time and save the child’s life.
The little boy Ivan was saved!
In April 2022, in response to the escalation of the war, the Aurum Foundation actively supported medical facilities and provided necessary resources for doctors on the front lines.
The foundation purchased an ambulance, which is now actively used to help doctors save lives. It also delivered two batches of the life-saving drug “Eutirox” to several endocrinological institutes of Ukraine.
Aurum helps Ukrainian children to be treated in Europe
In 2023, Alona Lebedieva founded the Aurum Charity Foundation in Brussels, which finances the treatment and rehabilitation of Ukrainian children injured in the war.
The Foundation closely cooperates with local hospitals of Ukraine to identify children who need specialised care and promotes their treatment in European clinics.
“The number of injured children in Ukraine is growing every day, and our goal is to provide them with the best possible help,” said Alona Lebedieva.
The fund has already helped girls from Kharkiv who suffered from shrapnel wounds to receive the necessary rehabilitation in European clinics.
Support of Ukrainian doctors: training abroad
The Aurum Charitable Foundation also constantly supports the professional development of Ukrainian doctors, as investments in their qualifications directly affect the quality of medical care for children in Ukraine.
Roman Shevchenko, the head of the Comprehensive Neuro-Monitoring and Pediatric Sleep Lab at Okhmatdyt, spoke about the importance of this internship: “We had the opportunity to learn the latest algorithms for diagnosing and treating sleep disorders in children, including respiratory management for patients who require long-term home ventilation.
“Special attention was paid to the correction of sleep in children with autism spectrum disorders. This knowledge will allow us to improve the work of our sleep lab and introduce new treatment methods in Ukraine.”
The two-week internship involved key specialists from the lab, including a pediatric anesthesiologist and a pediatrician.
This experience enabled the doctors to adopt new approaches to treatment and diagnosis, which will significantly enhance the quality of medical services at Okhmatdyt.
Alona Lebedieva emphasised the importance of this support: “Life presents us with many challenges, but despite the circumstances, we must always remain true to our values. For me, children are the most precious.
“We must provide them with the best conditions: modern medicine, cutting-edge treatment technologies, and support at every stage of recovery.
“I am sincerely glad that we were able to support the doctors at Okhmatdyt in this important project, which will help save children’s lives and improve the health of our youngest patients.”