Del Bianco Prosthetics is raising money to help a Ukrainian seeking shelter in North Carolina who is in need of a new prosthetic. Oleksandr's current prosthetic was damaged while fleeing from his home in Mariupol, Ukraine - one of the hardest-hit cities during the Russian invasion. Please read below for Oleksandr's story written by his daughter Olha, whom he is living with here in NC!

 

Oleksandr and his wife Larisa Karikh recently arrived in Fuquay Varina, North Carolina, desperately fleeing Ukraine a few weeks after Russia invaded Ukraine.

 

The Karikh’s story begins on February 24th, 2022, when Russia launched an offensive on their hometown, the strategic port city of Mariupol. Before they could contemplate escaping the war, the attacks on their city grew increasingly dangerous, and they quickly found themselves living in an underground bunker with friends, family, and strangers alike -- in freezing temperatures. Soon the mobile network would be taken offline, and they lost nearly all contact with the outside world. The frequency and devastation of Russian attacks continued to increase day by day. After making arrangements for their elderly parents, they made the difficult decision to get into their car and attempt an escape from the city. They joined a convoy of others who had decided to escape that day. Oleksandr courageously drove through the battlefield and eventually to a nearby city spared from the violence until that point.

 

Out of Mariupol, the Karikhs were able to call their daughter Olha who resides in North Carolina with her husband, that serves in the U.S. Army at Fort Bragg. Olha and her husband flew to the Romanian border, where they picked up the frightened Oleksandr and Larisa a day later. They all traveled west to Slovakia and were granted an emergency appointment with the U.S. Embassy, which thankfully resulted in the Karikhs being awarded a U.S. visa to join their daughter in the United States.

 

A few weeks after the war had begun and their entire lives had been turned upside down, the Karikhs found themselves safely living in Fuquay Varina, North Carolina with their daughter. After the arduous trip across Europe and eventually the United States, they were finally able to take a deep breath and begin to understand what they had just experienced. It was at this time that Oleksandr realized he had a problem. Oleksandr, who has a prosthetic leg, discovered that his spare prosthetic had been damaged during the chaos of the escape. Adding to his troubles, he also noticed that the prosthetic he wore throughout the escape was also damaged and causing him difficulty in walking along with pain.

 

Meanwhile, Larisa had been introduced to the non-profit organization “Ukrainians in the Carolinas,” which offered to help the Karikhs in any way possible. When informed about Oleksandr’s issue with his prosthetic leg, the Ukrainians in the Carolina organization quickly connected them with Del Bianco Prosthetics and Orthotics. They agreed to look at Oleksandr’s leg immediately.

 

Oleksandr's new prosthetic leg costs upwards of $11,000, which a patient's insurance would typically cover, but, due to the circumstances, he does not have health insurance. So Del Bianco is asking for help to raise the funds needed to get Oleksandr a working prosthetic and reduce his pain. Oleksandr and his family have already been through enough - So let's band together to ease this process and help them rebuild their lives. Any funds beyond the cost of his prosthetic would be given directly to Oleksandr.