Gro Buttingsrud, a Norwegian politician and a member of the National board of the union for Norwegian health secretaries, dared to come to Kyiv despite all the dangers of wartime. Recently, the shelling has been even stronger for Kyiv and other cities. But this did not stop a good friend of Ukraine and a volunteer, Mrs. Buttingsrud.

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“My friends were shocked, how could I go to Ukraine if I could be killed under the shelling? I replied that I understood that, but I felt that I could not do otherwise, I just had to come to Ukraine. Because this country and its people protect all of Europe and I had to express the support, so that they could see that they are not alone” shares Mrs. Buttingsrud.

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As a health secretary, she wanted not only to bring aid and see the country. But she also wanted to get acquainted with the medical sector of Ukraine with the help of her new partner, the Ukrainian humanitarian agency ZDOROVI.

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“I was interested in seeing Ukraine, seeing its people, and I was delighted. It was such an unspoken atmosphere that forever connected my heart to this land, to the honesty of the people, to their willingness to help, to their big hearts. They thanked me and hugged me simply because I was there. It was so touching, but unfair, because I felt like I had to thank them for protecting us and the entire democratic world. During that visit I was interested in learning how the medical sector works during the war. And thanks to my partners from ZDOROVI I could do that and I was so surprised to see that everything was much better than I expected. If there were damages they tried to rebuild them as quickly as they could, doctors were very tired, but passionate about their work and mission,” said Gro Buttingsrud.

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With the ZDOROVI team that organized her hospital tour she visited the National Cancer Institute, primary hospital, and a children's hospital in the Kyiv region. Mrs. Buttingsrud was touched by the passion of the medical workers. They reached an agreement to contact the Norwegian Cancer Center and her clinic to get help with new research and equipment.

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“It is very important to see how much even one motivated and sensitive person like Mrs. Buttingsrud can do to support the medical sector in Ukraine. Because every step of help matters. We see how Norway and Norwegian people support Ukraine and this is amazing. I am thankful for each act of help and partnership. We are glad to see more partners around the world who establish friendly relations and support during war. This can lead to strong partnerships for years. Together we are creating a new empathetic medicine in Ukraine even in wartime, and we are happy to see people like Mrs. Buttingsrud standing with us on this path” said Natalia Tulinova, CEO of the Ukrainian humanitarian agency ZDOROVI.

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