Mayo Clinic employee fundraises for Ukraine animals

(ABC 6 News) – Russia’s war on Ukraine has been going on for more than a year.

People have been affected by the war, and so are the animals.

One Mayo Clinic Employee from Ukraine is doing what she can to make sure the animals are being saved and taken care of.

“We ended up safe with my family here, and my chinchilla,” Olena Chuzhyk said. “I never wanted to leave my country, I love my country.”

Olena has been in Rochester since June of last year.

Even before the Russian invasion, she knew she had to leave the country.

Something wasn’t right.

“We are safe here, thank god we are safe,” Chuzhyk said.

Olena works as a research fellow at Mayo Clinic. Taking care of people is what she does best.

“The clinic helped me, they saved my life, my parent’s life,” Chuzhyk said.

But now it’s time for her to take care of the animals of Ukraine. She’s loved them all her life, especially her Chinchilla.

“They are silent victims, they can’t say anything, they cannot do anything. They cannot change political situations, they cannot change anything. They need our support,” Chuzhyk said.

Olena is now getting to work raising money for Ukrainian Rights Organizations and Shelters, many of which she visited.

“I know all of those places. It’s hard to look and see what they’re going through,” Chuzhyk said.

Money raised will go towards food, generators, and treatment for the animals at various shelters.

It’s advocacy work Olena loves, and she wants to keep doing it as she keeps Ukraine in her thoughts and prayers.

“Pray for each other, the more we pray for each other the better we are,” Chuzhyk said.

If you would like to donate to Olena’s GoFundMe, visit HERE.