NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A Nashville pilot is taking leave from his job to go to Ukraine and help.
Watching the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Ukraine, Chris Tiller knew he couldn't sit at home in Music City and do nothing. He asked his boss for leave.
"I said, 'hey I really feel strongly about this conflict over there in Ukraine,” Tiller said. “I believe that it’s the world’s fight. I believe it’s the world’s responsibility to go over there and help these people succeed.'"
Once he got the green light, he started gathering medical equipment. As a pilot, he used his connections to find planes hauling supplies to Poland.
"It’s wonderful to see that so much aid is going overseas, but really the issue is just the backlog at the moment," Tiller said.
That's why he's going to coordinate from the ground. He wants to make sure aid gets into the right hands.
He secured a van in Poland so he can cross the border.
"Getting into Kyiv, and places like Kharkiv, I believe is going to require a bit more patience and creativity,” Tiller said.” My friend Oleg, he’s got plenty of contacts within the defense sector out there that we will be able to coordinate with to get these things to where they need to go."
A donor is sending over body armor too.
"A lot of that stuff is controlled by NATO so you have to have U.S. State Department permits and exportation permits," Tiller said.
Chris has a couple of friends going with him on April 7. He plans to be there for about a month.
In case there are last-minute needs, Tiller is accepting donations. You can also visit thisFacebook page.
