Olivier Evans
Gutless Diplomacy - medical aid for Ukraine, with the International Committee Of The Red Cross
Fundraising for International Committee Of The Red Cross
Story
What am I doing?
Dyeing my hair in Ukrainian yellow and blue as I go into - and recover from - intestinal surgery. Why? To raise funds for medical aid and equipment in Ukraine.
Why?
As I deal with my fifth major surgery for Crohn's Disease in the last 20 years, I can’t help but compare my context to the one being endured by the men, women and children affected by the war in Ukraine. Right now, even basic medical care is not always accessible to people who need it most.
I've chosen to dye my hair blue and yellow in solidarity with Ukraine and to raise money so that the International Committee of the Red Cross Ukraine (ICRC) can reach more people affected by this war with medical aid.
I kindly ask, will you donate and perhaps write a message of support on this page and on my social media pages? Thank you.
I have Crohn’s Disease. It’s a chronic condition that can affect any part of the digestive tract. It has severely debilitated me since I was a teenager, though the disease is often invisible to others. Until it’s not… I’ve already had 4 lifesaving emergency surgeries and plenty of more minor scares, but I strongly believe that the illness makes me stronger and more resilient, and is simply part of who I am. Which makes me reflect:
• How lucky I've been to have amazing doctors and nurses who saved my life every time.
• How we take it for granted that we'll be taken care of in a safe hospital, with water, electricity, medicine, and equipment.
• How fortunate we are to live in a peaceful time in our countries.
The same cannot be said for the brave Ukrainian men, women and children, let alone doctors, nurses and soldiers.
Because of the war in Ukraine hospitals and medical centres are being bombed or destroyed. In the first year of the war, there were over 1000 attacks on Ukrainian hospitals and medical centres, with 4-5 attacked daily in the first weeks. Ambulances and medical workers have also been targeted, damaged, injured and killed. This is why the UK and many other countries have been offering humanitarian support, such as this: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-63752422
Ukrainians are getting injured as they fight for their country. And people can't get life-saving treatment for ongoing conditions, like mine.
People are dying, needlessly.
Imagine being ill or working in a hospital, unable to access the aid and equipment you’d need, or worry about being bombed or shelled. Imagine what it’s like lying there or working there each time an air raid siren goes off.
So, I am fundraising for the ICRC and its devoted international staff who are supporting Ukraine and its people, by providing inter alia critical medical equipment.
As you may or may not know, I am a British diplomat. Since February 2022, I've been working in London for the British Government, doing what I can to support Ukraine and help end this terrible war.
I don’t want to pause my commitment whilst I have treatment and recover from my surgery on 4 August.
Despite my own medical crisis, I want to do something to help others.
That’s why I am asking you to donate whatever you can and amplify this message so that as many people as possible can remember what is happening in Ukraine and can choose to support Ukraine in whatever way they see fit.
And I promise to keep you updated with photos of my blue and yellow hair as I go into surgery and as I start my own recovery and manage some personally (physically and mentally) difficult days, weeks and months ahead, through social media: @thegutlessdiplomat on Tiktok, Twitter/ X, Instagram and at Olly Evans on Facebook.
Slava Ukraïni! 💙 💛
P.S. If (after donating) you want to learn more about a topic close to my heart, the end of this war and the rebuilding of Ukraine, take a look at the Ukraine Recovery Conference that my amazing colleagues and my own team organised in June in London and that our wonderful German colleagues will host in 2024: https://www.urc-international.com
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