UUARC springs into action to help dying immigrant's family

by Lida Melnyk

PHILADELPHIA - On February 6, the Philadelphia Inquirer ran a front-page story about Volodymyr Lukyanenkov, a Ukrainian electrical engineer from Sevastopol, who, against his own better judgment, had been forced to work in the officially "cleaned-up" nuclear facility in Chornobyl. After years of punishment for his vocal protests that radiation there was still at unsafe levels, Mr. Lukyanenkov left his family in Ukraine and came to the United States to try to make a better life for his wife and daughter.

In January Mr. Lukyanenkov, complaining of severe stomach pain was taken to the hospital by his friends. Doctors at Harrisburg Hospital found him riddled with cancer, attributable to radiation exposure. After hearing his story, doctors tested him for radiation, and his entire body tested positive - two times baseline normal. The article in the Inquirer mentioned that Mr. Lukyanenkov's final wish - to see his wife and mother - had just been fulfilled; they had just arrived from Ukraine to see him one last time.

On the morning of February 6, as Stefan Hawrysz, executive director of the United Ukrainian American Relief Committee (UUARC) finished reading the article, the office went into high gear: they searched the Internet, found the hospital, and called hospital information.

Within the hour Mr. Hawrysz had reached Mr. Lukyanenkov's mother in his hospital room. Through tears, she told Mr. Hawrysz the family's sad story, and he, in turn, promised to visit her.

Indeed, on Sunday, February 10, Mr. Hawrysz along with Dr. Larissa Kyj, president of the UUARC, and Luba Siltesky, head of the UUARC's Aid Committee, drove to Harrisburg, offering not only moral support, but also financial aid for Mr. Lukyanenkov's wife and mother. America was very generous to this family - not only had Harrisburg Hospital treated the patient at no charge to the family, they had also arranged for an apartment where the despondent family could stay.

And Mr. Lukyanenkov's greatest fear - that his wife, mother and 7-year-old daughter in Ukraine would not be taken care of - had also been eased. Through his oxygen mask, and through his unbearable pain, he blessed the UUARC for its help.

The Lukyanenkov family lost their son, husband and father three days later, but they were not alone. The family's wish to take Mr. Lukyanenkov's body home to Sevatopol was made possible by many generous people in Pennsylvania, and he was buried in his native Ukraine on February 25.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, March 31, 2002, No. 13, Vol. LXX

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