■ Ukraine
Continued From Page 28 were incredibly grateful to these kind people ,” he said .
As evening approached on Feb . 27 , their car stalled when the battery wore down . They lost their place in the line but the people behind them promised to let them back in once the car was fixed . It took three hours to find jumper cables and get the car recharged . They rejoined the line and finally in the early hours of March 1 they approached the border .
“ The border guard didn ’ t even listen to us . Just denied entry . He told us to leave , but we had no idea where to go ,” Elmar said .
Frantic , they tried to find some accommodations where they could rest and regroup . Elmar was sick and feverish and Jeannie ’ s legs were swollen . They even reached out to Jeannie ’ s sister Marina in America to help find lodging . She booked them a room on the internet but it turned out to be a scam . It was difficult to find shelter because they were traveling with a dog too . Finally , they found a hotel . It was comfortable but they were overwrought .
“ Elmar told me that if it was not possible for everyone to leave together , I would go along with the dog ,” Jeannie said . “ I got hysterical . I didn ’ t want to listen to him . I was totally against it . Elmar also began to cry . It was the first time I saw him cry . Worst night of my life .”
Elmar was so sick they did not try crossing the border again until March 3 . The line was
Elmar and Jeannie Aleskerova draw on the support of family and friends .
shorter this time but the outcome the same . But there was hope because the guard recommended that they take Elmar ’ s doctor ’ s certificate to the military registration and enlistment office . Meanwhile , they had to find somewhere to stay . Jeannie found a house online in a village , a 90-minute drive away . They rented it for the night . They remember having borscht and buckwheat porridge with meatball that night .
At the office , two of the three doctors on the medical board refuted Elmar ’ s doctor ’ s conclusion but one doctor was willing to have him evaluated , at least . “ He kept looking at my wife ’ s stomach . I think he just felt sorry for us ,” Elmar said .
The evaluation found Elmar suffered from ulcers and he was given a temporary reprieve from military service . Armed with the document , they headed to the border . Jeannie said three guards waved them through , but the last one wanted to confer with others . She said they took their documents and separated her from Elmar . “ It ’ s like the worst tense moment in the movie .
“ It seemed to me that Elmar would never return . I saw him coming back . I wanted to run toward him . I could hardly contain myself ,” she said .
They quickly got into the car and drove away . When they realized they were finally in Poland “ we laughed and cried with happiness . We are saved and we are together .”
Elmar and Jeannie Aleskerova look forward to a new life with their new baby .
Elmar and Jeannie are incredibly thankful to everyone who helped them . They hope all the kindness that was shown to them will continue for their family and friends who are struggling to stay safe in the Ukraine . They encourage Americans to voice their support on social media networks and continue their generosity in donations to charitable organizations working in the Ukraine . Anyone wishing to reach Elmar and Jeannie can leave a message with CIANJ at 201-368-2100 .
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