Dr Natalia Lelyukh is a very busy woman. She has two children and runs a successful OB-GYN practice in Kyiv. She is a writer, public speaker, blogger, medical volunteer and a subject of many articles and documentary films. Just “google” her name and prepare to be amazed. Oh yeah, her photograph had appeared on the cover of the May issue of Vogue Ukraine (see it here).

We met Dr Natalia over breakfast in a quaint Podil neighborhood in Kyiv. Shortly thereafter, we were driving to a pharmacy where Dr Natalia had ordered a few crates of pharmaceuticals, earmarked for the residents of remote villages in the Kyiv region. Since we were well provisioned by our US donors, we had gladly paid a few thousand dollars for the med’s and loaded our prize into Dr Natalia’s car. It must be said, that we had never before taken a part in a drug purchase of this scale and efficiency!

Two days later we were driving north-west of Kyiv, passing detonated bridges, bombed apartment blocks and villages. The previously little known names of such places as Hostomel, Bucha, Borodyanka, Moschyn, Zagalci, Kozarovichi will always stay in our collective memory. These are the modern version of the “Killing Fields” of Ukraine, where thousands of people had lost their lives, dignity and homes to the invading hordes of a brutal neighbor.

Dr Natalia wears the military-style uniform and carries the ID’s, which allow her to quickly pass through the Ukrainian block posts, dotting all roads leading to and from the capital. Besides, she’s well known to the soldiers manning the block posts as she’s driving a donated ambulance, which was purchased by another volunteer group.

The good thing about long drives is that we have a perfect opportunity to chat with Dr Natalia without any interruptions. And so, we turn on our microphones and start recording.

She tells us about being a part of the advanced team that entered the town of Bucha, right after the occupiers were forced to retreat from the area. She describes bodies shot from a close range, laying on the side of Bucha’s streets. Then, she tells about treating rape victims ranging in age between 5 and 74. Dr Natalia continues with stories about driving her beloved ambulance to the eastern front and delivering hard-to-get medications to the military field hospitals. She calmly describes herself not sleeping for days, as she takes care of wounded and sick people all over a huge part of the country where the invaders have dropped bombs, launched missiles and fired field artillery at peaceful villages, towns and modern cities…

By the time we arrive to our destination, a destroyed one-street village called Zagalci (video), we are completely devastated. There is nothing to say except for one word: “Why?”

The rest of the day was not much easier. A handful of people who were left living in the village of about 2500 residents, came to see us and be examined by Dr Natalia. These people had told us their own stories about running away from the enemy, hiding in a cellar with 15 dogs and cats they had saved in the neighborhood, and a mentally ill man who was shot and killed by the occupiers just for talking to them. A woman stops by with her two children, ages 3 and 6. The older boy sees us and starts crying hysterically, while hiding in his mom’s car. She says that he has not been OK since the start of the war.

Dr Natalia conducts her exams on a bench next to someone’s house and dispenses the med’s right there. Every now and then she grabs her medical bag and disappears into a house to see an elderly patient, who can not walk to the examination bench next door. Then, we drive off to see more patients living in other villages and destroyed homes.

Dr Natalia is an amazing person. She simply smiles when we ask her when was the last time she had taken a day off. The good news is that there are very many Ukrainians and foreign volunteers who will not rest until the bitter enemy is chased away from the Ukrainian territory and the Ukrainian people have been healed.

These people are the true heroes and they deserve our help! Please donate any amount of money you can, right now! Click here to do so! Thank you!