Why this Virginia doctor risked his life to save others in Ukraine

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Dr. Connor Berlin is back in Virginia after he spent three weeks in Ukraine at Mechnikov Hospital in Dnipro about 70 miles from the front line in that country’s war against Russia. Berlin, a resident at UVA Health, offered up his skills as a neurosurgeon to help those injured in the war.

“If there’s something I’m good at, that I can use to help other people, I’m going to do it,” Berlin said.

During the day, Berlin said he and his fellow doctors helped civilians with more routine issues, but at night, they’d treat seriously injured soldiers, sometimes working through air raids.

“These guys aren’t just going to stop in the middle of a craniotomy that they’re doing on a patient to save their life to go take shelter, you know. So that’s a risk that they take,” he said.

Berlin said he performed 20 surgeries over 16 days. He said he did so alongside a group of surgeons he called the “Dream Team.”

“They are very just unbelievable individuals,” he said. “Unfortunately, I think War is a very good trainer for surgeons.”

He called everyone at Mechnikov “real heroes” and credited the hospital’s lead neurosurgeon Dr. Andrii Serkov.

“He’s so committed to his country,” Berlin said.

Connor Berlin

He said he intended to go back to Ukraine as the people and country need more support.

“You don’t have to be a healthcare worker, you could be in the tech industry to go and help Ukraine out,” he said. “And you don’t have to go to Ukraine to help out either, donating is great.”

Berlin mentioned two groups that could use donations:

Razom, which means “together” in Ukrainian, helped fund his trip.

Heal Corp gives first aid training to Ukrainians.

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