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12.11.2025 · Peter Bernscherer · Share on Facebook · Share on X (Twitter)
When every minute counts: Incubators for Odessa
Sometimes aid missions begin with an urgent phone call. This was the case for Erich Hofmarcher of Kiwanis Upper Austria, who recently received an urgent request from the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry: incubators for premature and newborn babies had been damaged in attacks on the children's hospital in Odessa. These are devices upon which the lives of the smallest and most vulnerable patients depend. Erich Hofmarcher is no stranger to providing aid to Ukraine. Since the beginning of the war, he has been driving semi-trailer trucks loaded with relief supplies, ambulances, and fire trucks directly to the war zone every month. What many would consider too dangerous or too complicated has become routine for him – a routine that saves lives. The request for incubators was particularly urgent. Premature and sick newborns need the controlled environment of these medical devices to survive. Every day without functioning incubators means an increased risk for the children's hospital's youngest patients. Tyrolean solidarity.
Two incubators from Tyrolean hospitals have already been pledged. What would normally be a bureaucratic process taking weeks in peacetime was accomplished in hours – because people like Erich Hofmarcher understand the urgency and because Tyrolean hospitals reacted immediately. These incubators will soon find their way to Odessa, transported by someone who knows the route and isn't afraid of the risks. Quiet heroes of everyday life: Erich Hofmarcher's commitment is extraordinary, but he doesn't talk about it much. While others talk about helping, he's driving. Month after month. Semi-truck after semi-truck. Relief supplies, medical equipment, vehicles – everything that is urgently needed in Ukraine. Kiwanis Upper Austria and Erich Hofmarcher demonstrate what is possible when commitment meets determination. They show that aid doesn't stop at borders and that some people are willing to go where it's dangerous – because there are people there who need help. Every contribution counts. Such missions are only possible through a network of supporters: hospitals that provide equipment. Logistics experts who make transport possible. Donors who finance fuel and relief supplies. And people like Erich Hofmarcher who give their time, their energy, and sometimes even their safety. The two incubators from Tyrol will arrive in Odessa. They will give premature babies a chance at survival. And while somewhere in a destroyed children's hospital a tiny life fights for survival in one of these devices, Erich Hofmarcher will already be planning the next transport. Thank you, Erich Hofmarcher. Thank you to Kiwanis Upper Austria. Thank you to the Tyrolean hospitals that helped immediately.
Would you like to support aid efforts in Ukraine or do you have medical equipment that can be donated? Contact us – we will gladly put you in touch with the right organizations.
AT09 1200 0515 1669 9817, Kiwanis Charity Fund, aid project Ukraine KC LeondingPlease state your date of birth and the tax office will be notified automatically. Companies will receive a donation receipt upon request.
About Kiwanis Upper Austria - Kiwanis is a worldwide organization that is particularly committed to the well-being of children. Under the leadership of Erich Hofmarcher, Kiwanis Upper Austria has organized countless aid convoys to Ukraine since the beginning of the war and has become a reliable lifeline for medical facilities and humanitarian organizations on the ground.
www.pcsfueralle.at/aktuelles/erich-hofmarcher-278
www.pcsfueralle.at/aktuelles/drei-tage-drei-laender---wir-helfen-gemeinsam-294
