Tatiana’s Journey
“The NATAN team changed my life. In my hopelessness, I suddenly felt that someone cared. The people of NATAN gave me the strength to continue my journey. I dream of standing on my feet one day. I dream of going home.”
Alone in the world. Confined to a wheelchair. Abandoned at railway station 670 km from home in wartime… Hear Tatiana’s story from Svetlana, one of the NATAN team members who helped her along the way.
In March 2022, less than a month after the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, Social Worker Svetlana Buza joined NATAN’s Ukraine Refugee Relief operation in Poland. Svetlana shares the story of Tatiana, one of the thousands of refugees aided by NATAN since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Tatiana is a 63-year-old single woman from Ukraine with no children and no family support network. Tatiana has been in a wheelchair for much of her life, due to muscular dystrophy. Her city, Kryvyi Rih, in central Ukraine came under rocket fire in the early days of the Russian invasion, and has been heavily bombarded many times since then. Just this week, the Russians bombed residential areas in this town – killing 11 and injuring dozens more. The targeting of this town is not accidental: Kryvyi Rih is the hometown of President Volodymyr Zelensky.
11 civilians were killed, and dozens critically injured when a Russian missile hit and destroyed this five-story residential building in Kryvyi Rih, on June 13. (Photo: Serhii Lysak/Telegram)
Until the outbreak of war last year, Tatiana lived on her own and managed independently, despite being confined to a wheelchair. With the outbreak of the war, she was put on a train to the city of Lviv for a 20-hour journey. Tatiana was abandoned in Lviv. By sheer determination, she managed to continue her journey alone by bus from Lviv to Przemysl in Poland. This is where Tatiana first met members of NATAN Worldwide Disaster Relief. Svetlana Buza was then a member of Team 2 in the refugee relief operation which began as soon as war broke out. Here is the story in Svetlana’s words:
Svetlana receives a thank-you bouquet at the refugee center in Przemyśl. March 2022
“I believe that our role as volunteers is that of "temporary people" who appear in people’s lives at a certain time and in a certain situation and try to help.”
“We found Tatiana at the Center for Humanitarian Aid in Przemyśl, Poland - a large refugee transit center where my team was deployed. My NATAN teammate, Ola, and I asked Tatiana how she was feeling. She asked to take a shower, because after traveling for more than 20 hours, her clothes were soaked and soiled. We recruited more volunteers, nurses from our delegation and took her to the refugee center clinic, run by NATAN and the Polish Red Cross. We helped her dress, eat, drink, and for several days we were busy finding a suitable place for her. We knew Tatiana would not be able to stay in Poland for a long time. We turned to volunteers from many countries with this request: Help us find a new home for Tatiana. We understood that the best place for her would be either a nursing facility, or a home for seniors or a church that could provide her with the help she needed. Happily, we found Cottolengo: a monastery-hospital complex in Italy which could provide Tatiana with medical care and housing.
Tatiana’s Journey is far from over
This was in late March 2022. I was part of NATAN’s Team 2. Toward the end of our rotation, Team 3 arrived to carry on the work. We passed the torch to them, knowing that Tatiana would be going to Italy to the monastery. Volunteers from Italy, psychologist Jacqueline and volunteer Stefan, organized the trip to Italy - to the monastery in Turin which was ready to receive her. The arrangement for her transfer to Italy was carried out by NATAN’s Team 3 together with Italian volunteers. Tatiana was flown to Italy in a military plane and then transported to her new home at the monastery.
I believe that our role as volunteers in a relief organization is that of "temporary people" who appear in people’s lives at a certain time and in a certain situation. We bring the ability to influence and change people’s lives – at least temporarily. Sadly, I am aware that this change is not always a change for the better. Especially for refugees in this world, the possibilities are limited and most solutions we can find are far from ideal. For this reason, I did not believe in the continuation of the relationship. But while I was still in Poland, I felt the need to give Tatiana my address.
After a month and a half I received a letter from Tatiana in the mail. How surprising and how exciting it is to receive real letters these days -- a handwritten letter with a stamp! I was excited, I wrote her back and for several days I walked around carrying the letter as an important treasure. Tatiana called when she received my letter and we continued to call each other from time to time. That's how I was informed that she had undergone surgery, and was now in rehabilitation, still in the monastery in Turin.
Tatiana told me about her loneliness, about the desire to return to Ukraine, along with the concern for her native land, not knowing if things would work out, not knowing when the war would end. About a month ago, my husband and I planned our trip to Italy and I thought of surprising Tatiana. After arriving in Turin, we took a taxi to Cottolengo. The nuns do not speak English and it was difficult to explain the connection: Am I a relative? Am I a friend? I tried to explain the connection to Poland, Ukraine, Israel and NATAN… We told our story with gestures, with my husband's translation, and sign language.
At last they brought Tatiana out in a wheelchair, and we met at the entrance. The surprise had its effect: a very emotional reunion. We both held back tears. I had planned the visit and thought about what might make her happy. I decided on a day of pampering for Tatiana. We took her to a hairdresser for a day of relaxation and beauty treatments and then we all went out for a delicious dinner. We spent a wonderful day together, parting with hopeful hugs.
Tatiana’s journey is not over. She dreams of going home one day. In the meantime, she is in a safe place, well cared for, healing and getting stronger. Tatiana told me that volunteers like us had restored her hope – coming to her aid when she was in the midst of despair. In her words:
