My name is Lian Harper, and I am asking for your help to relocate the Sliepcheno family, my good Ukrainian friends Mykola and Taras, along with their parents Hryhorii and Valentyna, to Canada. I also seek your support in their current family emergency. Valentyna's health condition requires urgent attention, which is crucial for her recovery and ability to relocate.

I had the honor of meeting my good friends Mykola and Taras Sliepcheno while I lived in Kyiv, Ukraine in 2018. Since meeting them, they have never ceased to amaze me with their hospitality, kindness and genuity. I have supported them from afar throughout the tragedy and crisis that has affected them and their beautiful country over the past year and a half. However, my help alone is not enough to make a real difference in their lives. Unfortunately, now their family is facing immense challenges, both financially and in terms of their parent's health. Their mother's health, in particular, has been significantly impacted by the war.

They have made the difficult decision to leave their home in Tereshky, Poltava Oblast, Ukraine and relocate to Penticton, BC, Canada, near where I currently reside, under the CUAET program. Since their parents are both in need of consistent healthcare and assistance, both Mykola and Taras are permanently exempt from military service to aid in their care and are allowed to leave Ukraine.

Until their mother's health condition has been properly addressed, they will be unable to leave Ukraine. In addition to the immediate funds needed to improve their mothers’ health, they also are in need of support for other family members' healthcare and basic needs. They will also be needing assistance to cover costs for transportation out of Ukraine and to establish themselves safely in Canada.

I have initiated and taken the responsibility of managing this campaign and will provide regular updates to keep you informed about the family's progress and the impact of your contributions. I will handle the funds raised through this effort and will directly transfer them to Taras Sliepcheno as expenses arise.

Knowing them personally, I can vouch that they are trustworthy, hardworking, incredibly intelligent and loving people, who will do all in their power to pay forward any kindness shown to them.

They continue to inspire me with their strength and resiliency, optimistic outlook, and dedication to their family. Their love for their parents is abundantly clear, and their story has touched my heart.

As there is only so much I can convey on their behalf, I encourage you to take the time to read Mykola and Taras’ story, in their own words.

I sincerely thank you for your consideration and support.

In their own words:

We find ourselves in the most critical and pivotal days of our family's life, and we are reaching out to you, hoping for your support. We genuinely appreciate your time in reading our message and considering helping us in our time of need.

The war has left our family in an extremely challenging financial situation and has taken a devastating toll on our parents' health, particularly affecting our mother. Their complex health conditions demand constant care and resources that are currently beyond our reach. These challenges have also significantly impacted our own mental and physical well-being, which further impairs our ability to tackle these challenges.

Despite our deep longing to stay in Ukraine, we have made the difficult decision to temporarily leave our country. Both my brother, Taras, and I have permanent military exemptions due to our parents' health conditions, allowing us to leave with them. Encouraged and supported by our dear friend Lian Harper from BC, who has become a beacon of hope in this critical moment of our lives, we aim to relocate to BC, Canada, under the CUAET program for the next 3 years.

Our primary goal in moving to Canada is to establish a solid foundation for ourselves and rebuild our lives from scratch. By doing so, we hope not only to support our parents and ourselves but also to have an opportunity to help our friends and relatives in Ukraine to the best of our abilities from afar. We seek to provide our parents with a peaceful and stable environment with the healthcare they require, giving them a chance for recovery and healing.

My brother and I are determined to work very hard to provide our parents with everything they need. Upon our arrival in Canada, it will be crucial for both of us to find full-time jobs to provide complete support for our parents and ourselves.

However, before we can proceed with our relocation, there is much that needs to be done while we are still in Ukraine. Most importantly, our mother's health condition requires urgent attention. She is suffering from a complex degenerative disease that has proven to be at least partially reversible, if approached holistically.

Her current dental situation requires immediate attention for her to have any chance of recovery in the long run. It's a constant struggle to feed her properly, while her recovery relies heavily on appropriate nutrition. It's important to note that her dental problems are not due to poor oral hygiene but rather a result of certain aspects of her health condition, which can be addressed through comprehensive supplement protocols and nutritional adjustments. To ensure her long-term recovery, it is crucial to address her dental issues as soon as possible.

Our mother’s journey to healing in brief: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IdejN80nMmIMHUqsUjMEknhEry8FIqkQNZ-MXMfuZlQ/edit?usp=sharing

Witnessing our mother's suffering and feeling helpless, despite knowing that there is so much that could be done, is a profound tragedy that torments our souls. Multiple times last year, we found ourselves on the brink of giving up, grappling with our own human limitations. However, every time, we discovered the strength to carry on, thanks to the support of our friends from Ukraine and abroad, our relatives, and our incredible neighbours. Fortunately, there still remains a genuine possibility to substantially reverse our mother's condition, granting her the chance to live out her remaining time on this Earth with dignity as a human being - not in suffering, deprived of her humanity.

And from the depths of our hearts, we earnestly ask for your help. We genuinely appreciate any contribution, no matter how small. We understand the significance of our request, and we are committed to paying it forward and supporting others in need whenever possible.

We sincerely thank you for taking the time to read our message and considering supporting our family during this critical time. Your prayers and words of support are also deeply cherished. We also kindly request that you share this campaign with others.

With heartfelt gratitude,

Mykola and Taras

Seeds of Hope:

In addition to Lian’s efforts in initiating and managing this GoFundMe campaign, we are in the process of launching an online seed shop, with a primary objective to raise funds to support our mother’s recovery, as well as the whole family.

The shop will be offering a carefully curated range of seeds, including culinary and medicinal herbs, leafy greens, and select vegetables. Our selection will include many exceptional Ukrainian varieties that are not commonly found elsewhere online.

We invite you to visit our website to learn more and subscribe to receive a one-time notification when the shop goes live, between early to mid-July 2023: https://lovkafarm.com/

By sowing our seeds you can create a living memory in your gardens, knowing that you have made a meaningful difference. Additionally, as part of our commitment, we pledge to donate at least one packet of seeds to Ukrainian families affected by the war, for every packet purchased.

Below are the photos of our final seed packet designs, which feature the address of our smallholding in Lisova Slobidka, Poltava Oblast, Ukraine – the place where we initially dreamed of moving to and establishing a small-scale regenerative herb farm. Our vision extended beyond farming; it aimed to explore the relationship between food, health, and the environment, including topics like soil health, nutrient density, on-farm plant breeding, cooking, holistic health practices, regenerative design and more.

Even though starting this project in its original location is no longer feasible for now, we are determined not to abandon our dream entirely. By sharing Ukrainian seeds with the world, we hope to keep our dream alive, while we are still in Ukraine and hopefully later while in Canada.

After our planned relocation, we will also be seeking a rental place with sufficient space for at least a small garden. This will allow us to cultivate herbs, vegetables, flowers, and family heirlooms. By doing so, we hope to keep our dream alive, pursue our passions, maintain a connection to our heritage, and share it with the local community until we are able to return home.