The America Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) has joined U2FP in our effort to identify used/unused ventilators for donation (for more background, read Bringing Previously Used Ventilators Back into Circulation).
Below is the message ASIA sent out to their members recently. Please read and then share this collaborative effort with your personal and professional networks.
Dear ASIA members,
As you know, our nation’s emergency and critical care medical communities are quickly exhausting the supply of ventilators necessary to take care of the most seriously ill COVID-19 patients.
ASIA members (like Maureen Minor) and partners (like Matthew Rodreick of Unite to Fight Paralysis) have recognized that ASIA care providers may be aware of ventilators no longer needed or used by our SCI patient population or their families. ASIA and U2FP would like to encourage ASIA members to seek out ways to get those unused respirators into the hands of COVID-19 responders in their communities.
So far, we are aware of about a dozen units in California, Arizona, Florida and Minnesota. We think there are many more out there that could be put back in service. We are asking ASIA members to share this idea within their networks of professionals and SCI community members to discover unused units that could be offered up for re-use.
U2FP has offered to handle incoming queries about donations and assist donors in finding the optimal delivery destination. That information can be directed to matthewrodreick@unite2fightparalysis.org.
Thank you for your efforts during this difficult time.
The American Spinal Injury Association
Our hope is that seeing the willingness of our community to answer the needs of our healthcare workers and those who may have critical need of their care, will encourage all of you in our SCI Community (and beyond) to join the effort and help us find more ventilators.
Stay well!
