A Ukrainian Family Needs Our Help
Donation protected
Dear Friends,
I have created this GoFundMe page for Tatiana Zhuravel to help her in rescuing her mother, Valentina, and 15-year-old nephew, Dmytro (Dima) from the war in Ukraine. Many of us know Tati from her work at Austin Equine Veterinary Hospital, where she has been the barn manager for almost four years. Tati has spent all her savings on finding safe passage to the US for her loved ones.
Valentina and Dima’s harrowing journey began at the Dnipro train station in mid April, Easter season. Their train for western Ukraine departed fifteen minutes before Russian bombs struck the station, killing fleeing civilians like themselves. Once arriving at the Polish border, they were safe from Russian bombs and soldiers, but a difficult week of sitting in airports and cobbling together a route to Austin was just beginning.
The original plan to send Tati’s family members from Warsaw to London and then Mexico City was undone when Britain suddenly closed their borders to Ukrainians fleeing the war. Tati scrambled to find a flight to Munich for her mother and nephew. From there they flew to Madrid. A flight from Madrid to Mexico City got them to North America. Tati collected her mom and nephew in Mexico City and took them to the Texas border at Reynosa. There, US immigration separated Dima from Valentina and took him away to a detention center in Texas and then moved him to a San Diego children’s shelter - despite all his papers being in order. The boy was eventually flown back to Texas and returned to Tati - two weeks after getting on the train out of Dnipro.
Dima’s parents and older brother remain in Ukraine, working at the military base in Dnipro, a likely target for Russian bombs. Tati’s father, Alexandr, remains behind, protecting their house in Dnipro. He is suffering from a rare stage-4 cancer in a malignant branchial cyst in his neck. Because of these unimaginably stressful circumstances, Tati must support Dima and Valentina on her own.
Dima and Valentina’s arduous journey to the US is over. But their journey to live a life without war is just beginning. Please help Tati to help Dima and Valentina in any way you can. Many of us depend on her to look after for our beloved horses when they are in the hospital. Her care removes worry from our hearts. Let us now care for Tati and welcome Dima and Valentina to safety in Central Texas.
Thank you,
Christina Windsor
I have created this GoFundMe page for Tatiana Zhuravel to help her in rescuing her mother, Valentina, and 15-year-old nephew, Dmytro (Dima) from the war in Ukraine. Many of us know Tati from her work at Austin Equine Veterinary Hospital, where she has been the barn manager for almost four years. Tati has spent all her savings on finding safe passage to the US for her loved ones.
Valentina and Dima’s harrowing journey began at the Dnipro train station in mid April, Easter season. Their train for western Ukraine departed fifteen minutes before Russian bombs struck the station, killing fleeing civilians like themselves. Once arriving at the Polish border, they were safe from Russian bombs and soldiers, but a difficult week of sitting in airports and cobbling together a route to Austin was just beginning.
The original plan to send Tati’s family members from Warsaw to London and then Mexico City was undone when Britain suddenly closed their borders to Ukrainians fleeing the war. Tati scrambled to find a flight to Munich for her mother and nephew. From there they flew to Madrid. A flight from Madrid to Mexico City got them to North America. Tati collected her mom and nephew in Mexico City and took them to the Texas border at Reynosa. There, US immigration separated Dima from Valentina and took him away to a detention center in Texas and then moved him to a San Diego children’s shelter - despite all his papers being in order. The boy was eventually flown back to Texas and returned to Tati - two weeks after getting on the train out of Dnipro.
Dima’s parents and older brother remain in Ukraine, working at the military base in Dnipro, a likely target for Russian bombs. Tati’s father, Alexandr, remains behind, protecting their house in Dnipro. He is suffering from a rare stage-4 cancer in a malignant branchial cyst in his neck. Because of these unimaginably stressful circumstances, Tati must support Dima and Valentina on her own.
Dima and Valentina’s arduous journey to the US is over. But their journey to live a life without war is just beginning. Please help Tati to help Dima and Valentina in any way you can. Many of us depend on her to look after for our beloved horses when they are in the hospital. Her care removes worry from our hearts. Let us now care for Tati and welcome Dima and Valentina to safety in Central Texas.
Thank you,
Christina Windsor
Organizer and beneficiary
Christina Windsor
Organizer
Dripping Springs, TX
Tetiana Zhuravel
Beneficiary