Errand of Mercy

Dying boy in Ukraine gets emergency medicine

On September 18th 2002 Marken responded to an urgent request for a delivery of medicine for a dying boy in the Ukraine. Ibor Bochulyak, a seventeen year old hemophiliac depended on factor VIII concentrate to enable his circulatory system to function normally otherwise his condition would have been fatal.

Marken,, a NY time critical" express company accepted the humanitarian assignment through Airnet and on behalf of The Childrens World Blood Bank in Florida.
The urgency of the situation prompted company employee, Nina Pucchio, to call the Ukranian Embassy in Washington for special immediate passage. She chose to bestow this mission of actual hand transport to a childless friend of hers, Michele Spierto, whom she knew would see it through.
The next morning Michele was at the Ukranian Embassy opening its doors and begging for the visa. By 4pm she was on a plane to Frankfurt. Ten Hours later she took a plane to Warsaw but for the last plane to the Ukraine, airport personel found no room for the package and no other flights. In desperation and creatively thinking Michele located an English-speaking hack driver who would take her for the 5-hour ride to the border. In his concern he then boarded her on a bus for another two hour ride to Lvov.
It wasnt over yet. Time was running out.
Once again she depended on someone English --speaking and As God would have it on the bus were Maria Lewicha and Tytus Sosnowski, two Polish Psychologists." It was through their kindness" says Michele, that finally got me there. The two accompanied me there to the hospital to give Ibor his medicine. We all cried and Ibor and his Mom gave me a warm endearing kiss. Maria and Tytus later bought Michele dinner and secured her lodgings and will be forever friends.