Anna and Caroline

Hello - On June 10th, Brian and I greeted our new house guests, Anna and her 8-year-old daughter, Carolina, at the Calgary airport. Anna and Carolina fled Ukraine 3 months earlier as their small city was in the middle of an attack by Russia. They had a harrowing experience getting to Poland, where they stayed until they received their visas to come to Canada.

Pavlo, Anna's husband and Carolina's father, went from being a trained safety engineer, business owner, dad, husband, son and friend to a Ukrainian soldier on the front lines. Overnight. That is tragedy enough.

But it has gotten worse. A few days ago, Anna received word that Pavlo was seriously injured in a land mine incident while his fellow friend and colleague died beside him. Pavlo is now in a coma with severe brain injuries.

Anna is alone here in Canada with her beautiful daughter, and we are heartbroken for them. What is next?

Many of our friends and people we do not know have asked us how they can help.

You can help by donating to this campaign to help Anna settle into an apartment with her daughter and make her first year in Canada possible until she can improve her English and get a job that can support them.

When her world as she knows it has changed forever and there is such overwhelming heartbreak, tragedy and devastation, I am hoping this initiative might provide much-needed hope for her, and she will feel less alone in this horrific situation.