Refugee life in Romania: A Ukrainian father's moving journey for his son’s future amidst illness

In the hospital’s long and frigid corridor in Cluj-Napoca, a city in the northwestern part of Romania, Oleksii sits on a plastic chair, observing the pale-blue walls reflecting the fluorescent light above.

As he anxiously waits for the doctor, he can feel the antiseptic smell that seeps deep into his nostrils.

His fingers tremble as they glide over a crimson folder. The bulky folder is stuffed with medical check-up and test records from the past several months.

Despite the chilly feeling of the air, droplets of sweat form on his forehead.

Suddenly, the corridor silence is interrupted by the massive door that unexpectedly opens in front of Oleksii. He hurriedly follows the doctor who leads him into the consulting room.

Everything appears to be normal until he observes the clinician’s rigid face. Instantly, Oleksii’s body becomes heavier, as he almost knows what will follow.

“We suspect a kidney tumor,” says the doctor.

Life of a refugee

On February 27, 2022, Oleksii and his family crossed the border between Ukraine and Moldova. It was snowing heavily in the early morning hours, and the cold penetrated your bones.

Oleksii, his wife, and their 6-year-old son Artem were crammed into the last row of the Odessa-Chisinau bus, waiting for passport control.

We packed our lives into one small suitcase and left, not knowing where we would end up.

He was allowed to flee war-torn Ukraine since he suffered from chronic health issues and could not serve in the army.

“We packed our lives into one small suitcase and left, not knowing where we would end up,” recalls Oleksii.

At the border, car lines stretched for miles. After hours of grueling waiting, he and his family were greeted by Moldovan volunteers, who offered temporary shelter.

 

During their three months in Moldova, the family moved five times across the country. Three months of sharing a few square meters of room with dozens of other r

Oleksii shares his story with Ekaterina Suprun, World Vision's social educator in Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

"It's heartbreaking to hear their life stories." "Being a Ukrainian refugee myself, I'm doing everything I can to provide people like Artem and Oleksii with a sense of safety and hope in our Happy Bubble," shares Suprun. efugees.

“It’s always the fear of uncertainty,” explains Oleksii. “If you’re not emotionally prepared, it drains you inside and out,” he goes on.

“But none of us were ready, and even if you knew ahead of what was to come, you were never ready for this.”

One year later

Following five residence displacements inside Moldova, Oleksii and his family have been settled in Cluj, Romania for more than a year now.

He worked in the auto service industry until April 2023, when the local firm went bankrupt, leaving him without a monthly income source to support his family.

Recently his seven-year-old son Artem underwent severe surgery. “On top of that, he struggles to communicate,” his father explains. The boy has difficulty constructing and enunciating even the most basic words. “He doesn’t speak Ukrainian, let alone Romanian,” Oleksii says.

 

His family intended to enroll Artem in a Romanian school, but he was unable to attend due to physical and cognitive challenges. “We consider homeschooling; however, it comes with a lot more costs that we can’t afford right now,” Oleksii says.

Every day, in the early hours of the morning, Artem shyly walks with his father through the door of the World Vision child-friendly space, aptly called Happy Bubble. The facility, located in the heart of Cluj-Napoca, is supported by World Vision Korea.  

After warmly hugging his father, he drops his small red backpack behind his favorite bright green table and waits silently for morning gymnastics.

While the children gather one by one in the vibrant room, the facilitators prepare activity sheets for the day ahead, including math tasks, board games, and English language exercises.

 

Heart of a father

Oleksii has also been supported through food vouchers funded by World Vision Korea. Around 900 food vouchers were distributed across Romania to Ukrainian families.

“Given that I had been looking for a new job for several months, World Vision food vouchers helped me get through another month,” he says.

“We purchased essential food items to maintain a healthy diet,” he adds.

After the discovery of a potential malignancy, Oleksii spends much of his time between the frigid walls of the hospital. “Life once again reminds you of its fragility,” shares he.

With his last remaining savings, he paid for his son’s surgery.

Now, despite struggling with his own medical conditions, he is seeking a job to pay for Artem’s schooling and recovery.

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, World Vision Ukraine Crisis Response has provided food security, mental health assistance, child protection services, basic needs, education, and multipurpose cash programs to more than 285,000 Ukrainian refugees in Romania.

 

Story and photos by Laurentia Jora, Romania and Moldova Communications Coordinator