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28 WWW.UNWLA.ORG “НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, КВІТЕНЬ 2016 A STORY OF SURVIVAL, ADOPTION, AND RENEWAL by Karen Chelak, UNWLA Branch 75 How do you help war torn people from your ancestral homeland fight for dignity and freedom when you live thousands of miles away? How do you support the brave men and women fighting for their country’s very existence? You do what women have been doing for millennia. You help a battered individual family survive. Acting on this premise, UNWLA Branch 75 chose to adopt the family of a severely wounded Ukrainian soldier this past Christmas season. Our story began during the week of Holodomor memorial dedication ceremonies this past November, when Ksenia Rakowsky (Branch 75 social welfare chair) and Ivanka Olesnycky (New Jersey Regional Council’s social welfare chair) visited with several wounded Ukrainian soldiers who were recuperating and undergoing rehabilitation at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C. Ksenia and Ivanka focused on a soldier named Vadym and later made their presenta- tion to the branch members, who unanimously agreed to help him and his family. The family adoption program allows for an organization to financially support that family on a quarterly basis for three years, with promised social interaction between the branch and their family. Branch 75 wanted to do more for this brave soldier, so this year’s Christmas party was dedicated to raising additional funds on his behalf. The committee in charge of the program consisted of Karen Chelak, Oksana Lodziuk Krywulich, Ksenia Rakowsky, and Marta Popowich. More than $4,500 was col- lected, along with gifts for the soldier’s family back home in Kyiv. Vadym hadn’t been home for many months and wouldn’t be returning home until late March. It was a long time since he had seen his family, so the committee purchased an ipad from the donated funds and sent it to Kyiv. In mid-January the fam- ily was reunited via Skype. They spent the entire day and night “visiting,” and continue to do so every day. In February 2016, our Vadym and several other recovering Ukrainian soldiers from Walter Reed hospital attended the annual Ukrainian Heritage Day held at the Prudential Center in New Jersey before, during, and after a New Jersey Devils hockey game. They were introduced to the crowd between periods. One Branch 75 member approached “our” soldier and asked him how he was coping with his injuries. The valiant young man replied that given the chance, he would do it all over again, adding “you cannot put a price on freedom.” Vadym’s response was an answer to his personal trial by fire that began in Ukraine and has led to a journey that brought him to the United States. You see, our soldier was travelling in a truck with nine other soldiers. The truck ran over a bomb that exploded, killing everyone but Vadym. Badly wounded, he lay there for three days before he was rescued, suffering frostbite. His injuries were so severe that he had both legs and arms amputated, below the knees and elbows. Our viddil “visited” with Vadym’s pretty wife and their daughters via Skype in late January, and all Soyuzanky attending took turns speaking with them. The 5-year-old daughter is now in kindergarten; the other is an infant, born while her Tato was in the hospital. Vadym has not yet seen her in person. Vadym’s wife expressed her gratitude for the clothing, books, toys, and baby items that Branch 75 sent to the family. She also thanked us for the ipad, which has allowed them to communicate with their beloved husband and father and the people from America who have become their friends. And we, the women of Branch 75, are also very grateful. Because of the decision made last No- vember, we are accomplishing something meaningful for war-torn Ukraine, one family at a time. (Editor’s note: Full details about the initial stages of the adoption of Vadym and his family can be found in the author’s article published in the February 28, 2016, edition of The Ukrainian Weekly , pg. 15.)
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