Ukrainian family lands in Dunrobin

DUNROBIN – On March 31, West Carleton Online had the story of Dunrobin’s Lena Predmyrska desperately working to bring her sister and two children safely to West Carleton as the young family fled their  wartorn home country of Ukraine.

From a bomb shelter in Kyiv, Ukraine, fleeing across the country to Poland, staying with friends and in rentals on the way, Yulia and her two children Oleksii, 14, and Yegor, 7, made it out of the country, attacked by Russia on Feb. 24. Yulia’s husband returned to Ukraine to join the resistance.

Meanwhile, half a world a way, Lena was working to raise money and provide a home for her sister in Dunrobin.

“I don’t think any Ukrainian imagined Russia would invade,” Lena told West Carleton Online March 30. “I haven’t slept full nights since the war began. I go check on the news. If it’s morning in Ukraine, I go text with someone and see how they’re doing. Help them get their mind off things or let them vent.”

At the time, one of the biggest donations making the exodus possible, came from a West Carleton area volunteer firefighter who donated enough air mile points to cover the cost of the three tickets from Poland to Ottawa. But there were still some challenges to overcome.

Fundraiser Laila Labelle shared an update on the story earlier today (April 26).

“I’m excited to share that Yulia and her boys are arriving in Dunrobin with her sister Lena today,” Labelle said. “Thank you to everyone that has helped make this happen. We had a very generous private donation of airmiles to fly this family here and some incredible donations to the Go Fund Me page. This family has left absolutely everything behind and will be rebuilding their lives here in Dunrobin. The Go Fund Me is still open if you would like to contribute.”

As of today, the Go Fund Me page has raised $1,630 to support Yulia and her family.