About Valerie Hellermann

Valerie works endlessly toward her lifetime goal: To build a stronger, healthier, equitable and peaceful global community.

November 15: A Day Off + Fire & Covid Update

2020-11-17T18:23:50+00:00November 15th, 2020|Categories: Greece, Greece Nov-Dec 2020, Lesbos, refugee|

A day off. We went over to the burned out Moria camp. WOW - what a catastrophic fire. Everything burned, iso boxes melted, fire hoses melted. It is eerie walking around this camp that was so crowded with people and tents all over. Thinking of the 24,000 refugees who lived there. It must have been [...]

November 14: We must stop creating the conditions that create refugees!

2020-11-14T17:08:15+00:00November 14th, 2020|Categories: Greece, Greece Nov-Dec 2020, Lesbos, refugee|

The end of our first week and we are making sense of the chaos. Working well in our positions and as a team. All the medical NGOs are working together and it is inspiring. Still, the set-up is evolving. Awaiting construction of spaces and shelters for many of the medical services. Triage both chronic and primary [...]

November 13: New life starting in a refugee camp – despite conditions.

2020-11-14T16:58:56+00:00November 13th, 2020|Categories: Greece, Greece Nov-Dec 2020, Lesbos, refugee|

Working triage. Love it because I get to meet all the patients. We made a few improvements working well, still need shelter. It gets cold as we are by the sea and the wind picks up every afternoon. Medications are a big issue. I just spent over $800 on replacing meds and we have only [...]

November 12: Coming together, slowly.

2020-11-12T23:10:22+00:00November 12th, 2020|Categories: Greece, Greece Nov-Dec 2020, Lesbos, refugee|

Worked evening triage with Lily last evening. Triage is not working so well . . . it was lined with orange construction fencing that was blowing in the wind. Triage was outside with the wind blowing and no shelter for the patients or us. We were right next to the sea and it was cold. [...]

November 11: Morning of Day 3 at the New Camp

2020-11-12T22:38:33+00:00November 11th, 2020|Categories: Greece, Greece Nov-Dec 2020, Lesbos, refugee|

We are working split shifts, the teams working 8 am – 2 pm and 2 pm – 8 am. Today is my evening shift. The medical NGOs are all working together in the same “tent”. It is very busy, yet organized. I think this is working well. It is amazing - the medical folks from around [...]

October 22: Hands on Global is heading back to Greece

2020-10-23T23:08:42+00:00October 23rd, 2020|Categories: DONATE NOW!, Greece, Greece Nov-Dec 2020, Lesbos, refugee|

Hands On Global team is heading to the refugee camps in Greece again. We are leaving the day after the election as many of us are working to get out the vote! This will be a difficult trip. The temporary camp after the Moria fire has already flooded twice. People are living in crowded summer tents [...]

September 9: URGENT APPEAL FOR DONATIONS!

2020-09-10T16:16:00+00:00September 9th, 2020|Categories: DONATE NOW!, Greece, Lesbos, Moria Refugee Camp 2018, refugee|

I am heartbroken and in shock! Moria Camp on Lesvos, Greece has been devastated by a catastrophic fire. It housed 15,000 refugees.  It is now uninhabitable. All the medical clinics are destroyed (*except for MSF located outside the camp). The isolation unit for Covid patients - GONE, Primary Care Clinics - GONE, Central Triage - GONE, [...]

March 27: Calling All Medical Providers!

2020-03-28T01:15:43+00:00March 28th, 2020|Categories: Greece, Lesbos, refugee, Telemedicine|

The Hands On Global team are all safely home from the Moria Refugee Camp in Lesbos, Greece. We were reluctant to leave but felt we had no choice with the EU borders closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We left behind 22,000 refugees who do not have the privilege to leave. There are currently only 6 [...]

March 17: Waiting it out . . . thank you for donating!

2020-03-17T23:25:12+00:00March 17th, 2020|Categories: Greece, Lesbos, refugee|

Today the medical clinic was closed. Everyone was working to get bedding and clothing in place for the 200 plus people needing shelter due to yesterday’s fire. The UNHCR worked to reissue paperwork as people have lost their papers. This is scary. Parents mourning the loss of their child, people were injured. One of our lovely [...]

March 16: With a heavy heart we are leaving.

2020-03-16T18:39:18+00:00March 16th, 2020|Categories: DONATE NOW!, Greece, Lesbos, refugee|

We are in the midst of a hell realm - a huge fire today inside the camp, one child died, several hundred now without shelter. What else can go wrong ? Well Covid 19, the medical NGOs talking but still no direct actions to deal with this, the Greek hospital unwilling to address the potential of [...]

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