An emotional reunion between a Ukrainian mom and her two kids played out at the Hungary border thanks to the timely intervention of a kind stranger.
A video of a woman from Ukraine embracing a stranger who led her kids through the Hungarian border has gone viral on the internet. The emotional clip has left many solidarizing with the woman and other families who have been displaced as a result of the Ukrainian crisis.
The heartwarming gesture of kindness from the stranger, Nataliya Ableyeva took place on Saturday, February 26. According to reports, the hero met a man, 38, in her hometown of Kamianets-Podilskyi just before leaving for the border.
The man could not leave due to rules mandating men aged 18 to 60 to participate in the war. Hence, he entrusted her with his kids, who could not fend for themselves if left to flee the country alone.
Ableveya did not hesitate to take on the task of accompanying the minors on the journey of a lifetime. Before bidding them farewell, the kids’ dad handed over their passports. He also gave her the phone number of his wife, Anna Semyuk, who waited patiently at the border.
The dad’s leap of faith paid off, as the stranger successfully led his son and daughter across the Hungarian border. Both youngsters were glad to reunite with their 33-year-old mom, who had been visiting Italy before the crisis.
A viral clip shows the moment the tearful mom reunited with her two children, embracing them in joy. She proceeded to hug the kind stranger who made the emotional moment of reunion possible.
Both women shed tears of happiness as they shared the embrace, each knowing the weight of such a gesture, especially in a time of crisis when most would rather put their safety first.
According to Twitter user, @SOL_KittyKat, Ableyeva’s action was more heartwarming, as while she gave her best to rescue two strangers’ kids, she had to leave both of hers in the country amid the crisis.
The Twitter user explained that one of the woman’s kids was a soldier, while the other, was a nurse. Hence they had to stay behind to aid the war efforts. Other netizens also sang the praise of the kind stranger, commending her efforts. One wrote:
“There are good people left in this world. God bless the woman in yellow.”
Some noted it took lots of faith and courage on the dad’s part to entrust his kids to a stranger. Even more so, in a time of crisis. Others admitted the story moved them to tears. A tweet read:
“I watched this morning and wanted to cry. This is all so difficult to process and it’s a helpless feeling not being able to do anything.”
Samyuk’s family is just one of many Ukrainian families forced into separation since the war commenced and forced tens of thousands to flee the country.
Reports show that thousands of refugees have flocked into Poland to seek solace in the last few days. The country has since declared its borders open to fleeing Ukrainians, including those without official documents.
Hopefully, more of such heartwarming gestures would play out over the course of the war, to offer victims more reasons to hope, without losing their faith in humanity.
