A Tale of Ukraine Exodus

These below are excerpts from a long article in the Wall Street Journal by Alistair MacDonald and Maryna Dubyna.  It’s the moving story of refugees from Ukraine, focusing in part on a woman Liana Rohozhyna and her 19-year-old son Misha with Down syndrome. 

Bear with me, read it all.  It will not be what you think.  And it will be worth it, trust me.  No, really, trust me.  I never use those words lightly.
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"As Russian missiles fell on the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol, 19-year-old Misha Rohozhyn, who has Down syndrome, had a panic attack in a bomb shelter. He screamed so loudly that everyone else in the basement, which had more than 1,000 people crammed into it, fell silent.

"Misha’s breakdown persuaded his mother, Liana Rohozhyna, to forgo safety underground. They moved into a day center that he had attended in peacetime. The center, unprotected against bombardment, soon became a refuge for people with disabilities such as Down syndrome and autism who were unable to cope in basements and other shelters.

"…From Mariupol, the family and others who sought refuge in the center called Povir v Sebe, or “Believe in Yourself,” escaped westward across Ukraine, navigating minefields, air raids and the extra difficulties that disabilities can bring. As they moved from town to town, Ms. Rohozhyna calmed Misha by telling him their constant movement had a purpose, which was to track down his hero, U.S. pro wrestler John Cena.

"Usual life has been destroyed, you have to adapt to new circumstances, and that is very hard” for people with certain disabilities, said Ms. Rohozhyna.

"When missiles exploded nearby on Feb. 24, the first day of the war, Misha, who is unable to speak, froze, as he does under stress, Ms. Rohozhyna said. She dragged him by the hand out of the house. Fearing they would be too slow to reach shelters during future attacks, the two moved into the basement of a local gym. After a week, the shelter’s electricity failed, plunging the basement into darkness, triggering his panic and the move into the familiar surroundings of the day center.

"…Arriving at the center, Misha immediately went to a workshop to try to melt wax to make candles, his last activity before the war began. But the electricity had gone. There was no light or heat and they cooked over an open fire using dirty water from a nearby stream and melted snow. They could hear Russian jets overhead, and waited for the inevitable explosions that followed.

"They are just fireworks, she assured Misha, it will be fine.

"…Ms. Rohozhyna and her son Misha left the Mariupol center after two weeks, in a convoy of 15 vehicles. Anticipating searches, those in her car deleted anything dangerous from their phones, such as messages indicating loyalty to Ukraine.
And there was always the promise of Mr. Cena, the wrestler whose posters had covered an entire wall of Misha’s room in the family apartment now destroyed by bombing.

"At checkpoints, Russian soldiers tried to force them back. At one, they grabbed Misha’s tablet. It was full of photos and videos of Mr. Cena.

"Mines littered a stretch of road heading out of Mariupol, which the convoy avoided with the help of stones that other Ukrainians used to highlight them.

"Misha had retreated into his own world, and Ms. Rohozhyna was glad, because the car passed burned-out vehicles and corpses.

"…Ms. Rohozhyna remembers acts of kindness. As they waited, a man from one of the cars moved down the convoy handing out candy and telling jokes to kids and then to Misha, cheering him up.

"…The burned bodies of a family with two blind people were found in their bombed apartment in Mariupol. Ms. Rohozhyna has yet to tell Misha, who had gone on vacation with them.

"…Last month, the center was hit and damaged in a missile attack, leading to one injury, she said. It was looted of its remaining food while those left in the center buried an elderly woman, who had been staying there, in its garden.

"With no more food, most of those remaining left.

"In accommodation just outside Amsterdam, Ms. Kravchenko continues to try to contact the families who attended the center before the war. At present, she can account for only 35 of the 210 families.

"In the same building, Misha has barely left his room, Ms. Rohozhyna said. Earlier this month, he buried his head in a pillow and cried because Mr. Cena hasn’t yet shown up.

“'I tell him, we’re not finished with our journey, but we need to stop here and save up a little for a ticket to America, to find him there,' she said."

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That’s the article.

But it’s not the full story.

That’s because the article was brought to John Cena's attention.  And as it happened, he was working in Europe at the time.  And it turned out that he had three days off.  So…he flew to Amsterdam.

Misha, a non-verbal teen with Down’s Syndrome, didn’t understand why his family had to flee Mariupol this year.

To placate him, his mother told him they were travelling to meet John Cena.

Cena heard… and went to Amsterdam to oblige.

Just brilliant. pic.twitter.com/vix2OhkXZs

— Gavan Reilly (@gavreilly) June 11, 2022

​I told you it was worth it.

By the way, the person who posted the video noted in another tweet that John Cena has fulfilled over 700 Make-a-Wish requests -- more than anyone in the world.

Remarkable.  This story and video alone would have been remarkable enough.

(You can read the full Wall Street Journal article here.)

The story particularly resonated with me for two reasons.  One is that in the years when I did unit publicity on movie sets, I worked on the movie The Seventh Sign with Demi Moore, and in a small, but very important role, the part was played by a young kid with Down syndrome, John Taylor, a nice fellow who was there for a few weeks with his mother and two sisters.  And the other is that years back when working on Naked Gun 33-1/3 as unit publicist, I participated in a Make-a-Wish request.    And to put John Cena’s effort in perspective, it helps to briefly tell the tale. 

A 12-year-old boy from England wanted a poster and to meet the actors of his favorite movie series.  He, his parents and younger sister showed up.  It was one of the more memorable events of my life, because the production team, actors and crew went far above and beyond what he asked.  When I went to the Make-a-Wish office a few days later to follow-up, the office lit up to my surprise and explained why what everyone had done wasn’t normal.  Short version:  they said that usually people come by, get a picture, and leave after about 15 minutes.  The family was our guests for over six hours, and stayed for a barbecue dinner.

Meanwhile, John Cena himself went to the family.  And has fulfilled 700 requests.

Remarkable.

I was originally had a different title for this piece.  But then I thought for a couple reasons that might give away a sense of the twist surprise.  But in my mind, that’s its real title.  So, if I didn’t start with it, it’s how I’ll properly end.

“When You Wish Upon a Star.”