Cleveland man heads to Ukraine to provide medical assistance

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — For a year and a half, the Ukrainian War has been going on. One Cleveland man wants to help anyway he can.

Victor Czerasij is a dermatologist, who left for Ukraine this afternoon. He has long days awaiting him.

“People don’t understand when you get there how challenging this is. We start at 6:00 in the morning and go till 9:00 at night. We’re exhausted, but it’s a good exhausted,” Czerasij.

He is going to help Ukraine.

“I’m on my way to Kiev, Ukraine. It’s going to be three days taking planes, trains and automobiles, and I’ll be stopping through Kharkiv and Lviv and I’ll be working in dermatology and surgery and translating for a medical team in Kiev,” Czerasij said.

In his opinion, Americans have to help.

“Americans have to understand that Ukrainians have to win this war. If Russia loses, they go home. If Ukraine loses, they have no home, and they’ll come for NATO countries. If they do that then America is going to be involved in another European land war. Our children, our grandchildren will have to fight,” Czerasij said.

Czerasij has seen what the Ukrainian people have gone through.

“It’s real,” Czerasij said. “It’s real. When I come back, people are happy and smiling and going to Mcdonalds and enjoying parties and watching TV. You wonder, what did I just come back from? So, thank you for the support from all Americans.”

He hopes he can help not just the Ukrainian adults, but the children too.

“We have a lot of kids in the children’s hospitals that are not getting help with their wounds from the war,” Czerasij continued. “Also, there is a lot of birth defects as well. A lot of the surgeons are heading over to the front, so there is a deficit that is in the hospitals. They really appreciate all the gifts that we are bringing. I buy out all the toy stores and make sure the kids have something in every room. I do speak the language and it means a lot that an American doctor is coming over.

He wants to make sure Ukrainians never give up.

“But they love Americans, sorry I get choked up, they love America,” Czerasij explained. “They are thankful for what we are doing, and as long as we don’t give up, they won’t give up.”

Czerasij is thankful he can give back.