PERRYSBURG – Mila Buria is a Perrysburg nurse who lives a double life. Although she lives the American Dream here in the States, her family, friends and community live in a state of tension and fear back in the land where Buria was born and raised — Ukraine.
“First of all, when I came back everyone would say ‘Welcome home! Welcome home!’ But it’s not my home,” Buria said.
“My home is not in Ukraine. It is not in the U.S. either, even though I am a citizen. When you deeply know the Heavenly Father, there is only one permanent home. It is where He is,” Buria said passionately with expressive hands and a wide smile.
Buria originally came to the U.S. as an exchange student studying English at Owen’s Community College. In 2022 she returned to school at Mercy College of Ohio to earn her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).
Remaining in connection with her biological family and childhood friends, Buria understood the intensity of the attacks taking place on their land and began praying and searching for a way to help.
Buria said that God led her to the nonprofit, Global Care Force, to share the faith and bring comfort and care to those suffering from the Russia-Ukraine war.
According to the Global Care Force website, the organization has been dedicated to transforming lives through volunteerism since 2020. Today, they have placed hundreds of volunteers in various places around the globe, such as Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Mexico, Syria, Ukraine and more. The organization has contributed over 15,000 service hours to more than 250,000 people.
“Compassionate volunteers like Mila Buria are often the only option for Ukrainians to receive medical care,” said Global Care Force CEO Scott Oberkrom.
“Our volunteers generously give their time and expertise, and they also raise money to cover the costs of the medications they dispense. Global Care Force deploys volunteer teams regularly to ensure the patients receive consistent care, providing a lifeline greatly appreciated by the Ukrainian people.”
After undergoing the interview process and raising $6,500 herself, Buria returned to Ukraine as a volunteer through Global Care Force in September 2024.
During Buria’s approximate two weeks of medical assistance, she went beyond tending to her patients’ physical needs — she also focused on their spirits, she said.
Detailing her days, Buria would wake up at 7:30 a.m. most days and arrive at a Russian-occupied village to begin work at 10 a.m. While at work, she checked vitals, cared for the patients and even lent them a listening ear when needed.
Buria’s patients shared their physical and mental pain with her in hopes of relief. She recalled one lady who had to flee from the place where she lived because of the attacks and fight there.
“She lost everything she had, including her family. Only her daughter was left with her. She said she didn’t just lose her family, but also she saw how the parts from the bodies of her loved ones went in the air during the explosion.”
The kinds of conditions Buria treated ranged from as minor as insomnia to as major as heart failure, PTSD, diabetes and respiratory issues.
During some work days, the Global Care Force team would travel to a second occupied village. On these days, Buria couldn’t eat dinner until 9 p.m.
“There was another patient who had to build shelter underground to protect herself. She told me she was supposed to be lined up and shot like the others, but she somehow made it. It’s a miracle she was alive and came to me,” Buria shared.
For those who came in anguish, Buria consoled their souls with a hug — no words, just a hug, she said.
Once all the volunteering days were completed, Buria stayed in Ukraine to visit her family and friends for additional time. While out catching up with her relatives, a missile exploded near them.
“It was loud. The ground vibrated and the building was shaking. I remember asking myself, ‘What’s next? Am I still alive?’” Buria recalled.
“There was nowhere to run, no safe spaces. If you were outside, people just laid down, then got up and proceeded to walk away like it was normal. If you were inside, you just pray,” she said.
The Russia-Ukraine war began back in 2014, but in February 2022, following the Russian Federation’s invasion, a full-scale war erupted. In only two of the 10 years of conflict, from 2022 to 2024, nearly 4 million people have been internally displaced and affected, another 6.8 million people have migrated to neighboring countries and 14.6 million people remain in need of assistance, according to the USA for The UN Refugee Agency.
Although Buria grew up with an understanding of religion, only after 2019 did she devote her life to her faith.
She said that God’s grace is one way she was able to return to the U.S. and lead a (for the most part) ordinary life.
“Coming back to the U.S., it’s a totally different world. Like yes, there are terrible things here too, like shootings, but in Ukraine, the attacks are frequent, unknowing and only getting worse to this day,” Buria revealed.
Getting back into her daily routines, Buria resumed work and tended to her family. Despite witnessing and enduring extreme violence, as well as caring for victims, she said she embodies peace through her faith, staying in contact with her family and seeking ways to continue to support the Ukrainian people.
“I fear God more than I fear the war,” she said.
Those interested in helping the Ukrainian people can visit the Global Care Force website to either volunteer, donate or sponsor a volunteer. These actions go straight to funding medical supplies to aid communities. As their mission says, “Whatever it takes.”
