NATAN Social Workers, Katya Vainer and Tammy Kantor with the infant
A young mother in distress…
Told by NATAN Team Members, Ukraine Refugee Relief Operation
Przemysl Refugee Center, Poland, near the Ukraine border – April 12, 2022
On Monday evening, a 21-year-old woman came to our clinic in Przemyśl with a 10-day-old baby in her arms. The mother was exhausted and in extreme distress. Both mother and child were in need of urgent care.
We learned that the mother had given birth 10 days earlier in Kramatorsk, a city under attack by Russian forces. Because of the Russian shelling, the young mother was forced to take shelter in a basement immediately after giving birth. She stayed there for 8 days, without electricity or running water. Neither mother nor infant had access to even minimal healthcare. On April 8, a missile strike by Russian armed forces hit the railway station in the city of Kramatorsk, killing over 50 and wounding another 100 people. Two days later the young mother left for the border and arrived in Przemyśl on April 11.
No one had checked or cared for her or the baby since birth and the baby had never been bathed. At the refugee center clinic, a nurse from Hadassah Hospital called in the NATAN team. Tammy Kantor, head of NATAN’s psychosocial team assigned NATAN Social Worker, Katya Vainer as case manager. Tammy coordinated the effort to help the mother and child. The mother had planned to move on to a nearby village with her newborn, but it was decided to keep the two in Przemyśl, where the NATAN team could care for them and monitor their progress before they moved on.
Tammy contacted volunteers from the refugee relief NGO Ebenezer Operation Exodus, who helped find a local hotel for the infant and the exhausted mother. Katya and Tammy accompanied mother and child to the hotel. Katya stayed most of night to help look after the child so the mother could shower and rest. The next morning, Katya came back and educated the mother about how to care for the infant. The new mother had no skills in doing this and asked Katya to show her how to care for the infant and teach her how to bathe the child.
After two days, Robert, a local priest who is active in aiding refugees, found a safe place for the mother and infant. They are now in a clean, safe space at a church hostel in a city several hours’ drive from Przemyśl. Katya accompanied the mother and child there and remains in constant contact. Mother and child are doing well, staying in a clean, cozy room with caring volunteers nearby to help. They will stay there for about a month, giving the mother time to decide on her next destination.
This saga is just one of many stories of people whose lives have been disrupted by the war in Ukraine. This mother and infant were brought back from the brink of danger and despair through the help of many caring volunteers along the way. From the Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk, under siege, to the safe clean room in a church hostel in Poland.
This story is dedicated to the brave people of Ukraine and the volunteers who help them find hope, even in the depths of despair.
