Out of money, Wayne State student stranded in Ukraine after coronavirus cancellations

(FOX 2) - A Wayne State University business student is stranded in Ukraine after multiple flights were cancelled as officials work to stop the spread of COVID-19.

“I'm very anxious,” said Juliet Vrotchinski.

Juliet is in Kiev, Ukraine, with no way home - the 23-year-old Wayne State business student from West Bloomfield was supposed to fly back today, but her flight was cancelled, and then another one was cancelled too.

“When I found out my first flight got cancelled, I was very nervous because that was the beginning of it all,” she said.

Juliet was supposed to go study abroad in Belarus but the school trip was cancelled a few weeks ago before COVID-19 was a pandemic. Juliet decided to go anyway to visit her elderly grandmother and loved ones in Ukraine -- never expecting this.

RELATED: Is it the flu, a cold or COVID-19? Different viruses present similar symptoms

“At the time, the whole coronavirus thing was not nearly as bad as it is now ... there is no way I could have known this would happen,” she said.

Fortunately, Juliet is with her relatives, but none of her plane tickets have been refunded. She's running out of money and she has no idea when she'll be able to come home.

“When I found out that my second flight got cancelled, I was in hysterics - I was balling my eyes out. I have my family here and everything but when a pandemic's going on, you just want to be safe at home - not knowing when you're going to go home is just scary," she said. 

“She'll survive but still it's a little scary you know?” said her father, Nick.

He and her mother are worried. This as the state department tells Americans abroad to return home immediately or prepare to shelter in place where they are.

RELATED: Social distancing: What to do and what not to do to slow the spread of COVID-19

“There's a Level 4 advisory on the travel.gov website that says get home now - and I'm trying,” Juliet said.

She says she contacts the American embassy and the airlines everyday, but she continues to wait nearly 5,000 miles from home, stranded because of COVID-19.

FOX 2 is contacting our state senators in an effort to bring Juliet home.