Help My Ukrainian Grandparents Start a New Life

Dear Friends,

My elderly grandparents had a peaceful retiree life in a village near Kharkiv, Ukraine, called Khorosheve. On March 8th, 2022 they left the war-torn country because they were scared for their lives. They’ve experienced periods of panic, agony, and emotional distress seeing their beloved country fall to Putin’s attack. They have lost friends to atrocious Russian war crimes and have left their entire livelihood behind without knowing whether it will withstand the bombings.

They undertook a 30-hour long train journey to Lviv, then a bus to the Polish border where they waited 6 hours to leave the country. They stayed overnight at a refugee camp where they received medical attention. A family friend picked them up and drove them to his home in Lithuania. After a few days, we were able to find a more “permanent” home for them in Vilnius with a family that volunteered to host them until they can travel to Canada.

Once the visa applications are approved, they will come to Ottawa, Canada where I and my mother will take care of them. However, that is only the beginning of their journey to start a new life. They face uncertainty as to their future and are unsure how they will be able to carry on in such fragile and sensitive stages in their lives.

The money raised will go to help my grandparents start a new life in Canada. It will go to pay for flights to Canada, rent, new clothes, food, monthly bills, and most importantly healthcare. My grandfather, Oleksandr Omelchenko is 76, my grandmother, Valentyna Omelchenko is 74 and they are both in poor health. Their health has considerably declined during their evacuation out of Ukraine, and they will likely need ongoing medical attention and care.

Below is a rough yearly estimation of how much it would cost for my grandparents to restart their lives:

My grandparents loved their home and their country. It took 3 people to convince my grandfather to leave. Up until the last minute he said that he will fight until the end if someone just gives him a rifle. Luckily, he did not have to as he agreed to go. My grandmother stayed very strong throughout the evacuation, but the journey has taken an emotional and medical toll on her. Her chronic medical conditions have worsened and now she needs ongoing medical care.

Please consider donating to help my grandparents. Any amount helps!! Please spread the word so that more people could see the fundraiser.

Thank you so much to everyone,

Grandson, Boris