Thousands of Ukrainian refugees cross the Polish border every day and almost 3.5 million have come to Poland since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine on 24th February 2022. Every one of them who crosses the border can count on help from Poland. Due to the number of refugees, not only the Polish government, authorities and charitable organizations, but also almost every Pole, are involved in the humanitarian aid activities. One of them is our Brand Ambassador for Poland – Aneta Trzcińska.

Aneta, in addition to her typical activities as a dialysis nurse, is also involved in activities in the border area, at transfer points, or in temporary accommodation, where apart from medical care, psychological help plays a huge role. She has direct contact with the refugees who reach Poland in various physical and mental conditions. Many of them left their country with only small bags and they have nowhere to go back. A large group of refugees had been hiding from the raids in cellars and bunkers. At the beginning, people had to travel hundreds of kilometers, often by foot, to reach a safer place. The reactions upon arrival vary. Women who have reached a safe destination with their children started crying, talking about what they saw, what they experienced. Children do not talk at all. The sound of a flying airplane or the siren of an ambulance, and even the fall of an object causes stress, fear, crying and the children to lie down on the floor protecting their heads with their hands.

As a dialysis nurse, Aneta provides care to those refugees who require kidney replacement therapy. About 200 of these refugees need kidney care in Poland. They managed to escape alone from bombed areas. Many of them reached the dialysis units after a few days without receiving haemodialysis treatment. Others, who reached the border and felt unwell, returned to Ukraine for haemodialysis and tried to flee again to Poland. They were terrified, malnourished, sometimes dehydrated or over-hydrated, with suboptimal blood test results. These patients who arrive at the Polish dialysis centres are treated and given medications free of charge. Some of them are already in the process of applying to be on the transplant waiting list. The tasks of the volunteers also include finding homes for patients from Ukraine, completing formalities, finding a job and organizing Polish language courses.

The EDTNA/ERCA Executive Committee would like to thank Aneta Trzcińska for her commitment and support as a nurse at the Poland-Ukraine border in a terrible situation in the heart of Europe.