Thousands of pounds of medical supplies from Orlando shipped to front lines in Israel

ORLANDO, Fla. — An Orlando doctor is working to send thousands of pounds worth of supplies to the front lines in Israel.

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Dr. Tovah Ellman, a pediatric emergency room physician at Nemours Children’s Hospital, told Channel 9 that she, like many, felt helpless seeing the horrific images and videos and hearing the heart-wrenching stories of the war in Israel.

Ellman has family and friends there and thought she could help from Central Florida by collecting and sending thousands of medical supplies to Israel.

She and other doctors across Florida started organizing efforts last week.

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Now, part of Dr. Ellman’s home has been converted into a storage area filled with trauma supplies, packaged and ready to send to Israel.

“We have tourniquets to stop the bleed, gauze that clots blood right away,” Ellman said. “Chest tubes to help decompress. If someone has a bullet wound or shrapnel in their lungs. You really just need that blood out so you can breathe.”

Ellman says doctors’ offices and hospitals in the Orlando area have sprung into action, helping to donate trauma supplies.

Read: Florida works with nonprofit group to help bring Americans stranded in Israel back to U.S.

Now, 2,000 pounds of supplies sent last week are now on the front lines in Israel. Ellman says she and others are working to send even more.

“This is just from doctor’s offices or people in the area have sent since Friday and Sunday. And then there’s more items are picking up from warehouses. So, it’s just been an unbelievable response,” Ellman said, pointing to a room filled with stacked boxes of supplies in her home.

On top of medical supplies, people have donated sleeping bags, clothing, toiletries, and even over-the-counter medication.

Ellman says she’s doing what she can in the U.S. but hoping to do more. Ellman, a mom of five, just signed up to help in Israel as a pediatric ER doctor.

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Ellman said her desire to help and support the people there drives her. She also has 10 nieces and nephews, her brother-in-law and her sister-in-law in Israel, with three cousins fighting on the front line.

“Israel is a country full of reservists,” Ellman said. “Their doctors in the hospitals are reservists, and they need backup. I’m hoping to go do what I do as a pediatric emergency room doctor. Because kids still get ear infections and stomach bugs, even when this is going on. Then, there’s also all the people that they’re going to have to bring in. We expect it’s only going to get worse.”

Ellman says another shipment of supplies is scheduled to be flown out Tuesday.

You can drop it off at Yeshiva of Central Florida if you’d like to donate.

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