A donation meant to save lives now sits idle for months
An ambulance gifted in 2023 by Athina Papachristou in memory of her late husband has been stuck in a repair shop for an extended period, leaving the town of Messolonghi without the vehicle she sacrificed her life savings to provide.
The elderly donor contributed 65,000 euros for the purchase, offering everything she had earned over a lifetime to support her community.
Her only wishes were simple requests that the ambulance remain in service for Messolonghi and that it sound its horn each time it passed her home.
Those hopes cannot be met while the vehicle remains out of operation.
Hospital administrative employee Maria Skarmoutsou shared her sorrow, noting how its absence affects patients in need, the already strained local hospital and the memory of Athina herself.
On 3 August 2025, the anniversary of Athina's passing, the ambulance briefly returned to Messolonghi to honor her before being transported back to the workshop.
Skarmoutsou remembered Athina as a remarkably honest and warm person who spoke with genuine sincerity and carried a purity rarely seen.
Her generosity has already encouraged others to follow in her footsteps, inspiring new gestures of support for the region.
Residents in an area facing significant medical demands now look at the immobilized ambulance with growing anger.
The president of POEDHN, Michalis Giannakos, described the situation as infuriating and deeply disrespectful, stressing that the vehicle was meant to save lives.
