Monroe family seeking funds, medical supplies for war in Ukraine
MONROE — Within the first week of the war in Ukraine, 4-year-old Amelia Kokovskyy told her mother that she did not want her grandmother, who lives in Ukraine, to die.
“I swear I still get chills when I even say it, that quote. And that's her direct words, because she's 4-and-a-half-yearsold,” Iryna Kokovskyy, Amelia's mother, said. “And it's devastating.”
The family has lived in Monroe for six years now, but were born and raised in Ukraine, Iryna said. They moved to the United States during their youth. Their relatives, however, still live in Western Ukraine in their home city of Buchach.
Amelia's grandmother was going to visit the United States but had to postpone her trip because of the war. The Kokovskyy's, Iryna and her husband Andriy, were going to go over to Ukraine this year after putting it off because of the pandemic. They had to put it off again because of the Russian invasion of the country.
Amelia has not met her grandmother yet.
“My daughter asks me ‘when is the war going to be done' and I don't know what to say,” Andriy Kokovskyy said.
Their family overseas is relatively safe at the moment, they said, aside from some air raid sirens from the beginning of the war since they are further from the front lines.
The family has responded to the war by raising awareness through attending rallies and sharing information in local groups, fundraising and sending medical supplies to soldiers through volunteer organizations near their hometown. The family has raised thousands for relief efforts over the past two months and sent over a package of supplies.
Iryna Kokovskyy, who helped organize a rally for Ukraine in New Haven in March, has raised $24,000 in direct donations to Revived Soldiers Ukraine through her work. The family also donated to Razom for Ukraine and Nova Ukraine in smaller amounts.
She said that “cash is king” in this effort, since the money can be spent overseas by these organizations who already have the logistical channels to get aid where they need to go.
“It's a very small scale operation and I'm fine with that,” Iryna said. “I'm not trying to make it a bigger scale in operations. There are great organizations that are doing great things, sending ambulances, and bunch of other drones. Medical drones, like all some amazing things like I can't do.”
They shipped the first package on April 12 and are compiling a second. The first contained over $5,000 in supplies, including 25 military-grade medical kits of varying sizes, 50 tourniquets, pain medicine and powder to encourage blood clotting.
When asked about the total cost, Olya Mohylnytska, Iryna's sister who is in charge of shipping the packages, said she had “never bothered” to find out the final number.
“Well in all honesty I never bothered counting how much it's all together,” she said. “I feel like it's not enough. As people are dying there.”
Mohylnytska said she just hopes these supplies will save someone's life. She said it is better to donate tourniquets now than make a larger donation for prosthetics later.
The family has also compiled donated artwork to send to soldiers as a way to help keep spirits up.
The family expressed optimism as well, citing the support of people in local communities and throughout the globe.
“The world is united behind us,” she said.
Mohylnytska, who lives in Wilton, said she sees “Stand with Ukraine” signs “all over the town.”
“We will not stop supporting Ukraine until we win,” Iryna Kokovoskyy said. “And then we will continue to support to rebuild.”