Hi, I'm Andrea, and I'm helping raise money for my friend, Oksana's mom, Raisa, who has recently arrived from Kramatorsk, Ukraine.

 

Raisa is 76 and has stage four breast cancer and limited mobility. A day before the attack on the train station, Oksana convinced Raisa that she must leave her home despite the difficulty and challenges of the unknown. They made a plan to meet in Lviv near the Polish border. Oksana booked a ticket to Warsaw while Raisa decided on the few belongings she could fit into a small bag. As she was headed to the train station, she was warned of the attack and was able to find a ride to a further station that would take her to Lviv, where Raisa and Oksana found each other a day later.

 

Once together, their journey back involved hotel rooms, multiple planes, trains, a stop in Mexico City, encounters with unsympathetic border patrols and a car ride.  Some of you have been following along as their news came through via texts and we are glad that after a weeks long journey and overcoming many hurdles, they are home and safe, but many challenges still lay ahead.

 

As I learn of the atrocities and humanitarian crisis caused by Russia's war on Ukraine, having Raisa here provides one example of a life brutally affected by the war and an opportunity to make a difference in her life.

 

While Raisa is now out of immediate danger, Oksana is working through details and red tape to resume treatment of Raisa's cancer. Raisa left with just a small bag and the clothes she was wearing, leaving all of her personal belongings behind fleeing the war. Funds raised here will help make a very difficult time a little bit easier as Raisa resettles and adjusts to her new life here in Los Angeles.

 

Thanks in advance for your consideration,

Andrea