Doctors from Kyiv, husband and wife, seek a way forward while eking out a new life here in California.
The word refugee conjures images of rag-clad wanderers roaming dusty village roads, their hopes suspended for an undetermined amount of time.
After medical school, internships and residencies in their specialties of ear, nose and throat, they were “young doctors, trying to find our way,” Petro said. They built their family during this time, which now includes Bohdana, 8, Mykolo, 7, and Ivan, 5. Olga and Petro Kovalchuk both Ear, Nose and Throat specialists in their native country of Ukraine along with daughter Bohdana. A year after fleeing their home, the professionals struggle to provide the most basic of necessities for their three young children. Thanks to the generosity of a Santa Monica homeowner, they have free rent. But transportation and other basics are tough as the couple studies to obtain a medical license to practice here in the U.S.
It was a humanitarian crisis, Kiulian said, with thousands upon thousands trying to get through. And, as Petro and his group learned, the process for getting a Mexican visa was free for Ukrainians and took only about 15 minutes. The relief of refugees finally reaching their destination is short-lived, said Kiulian. His nonprofit, launched specifically to help with the Ukrainian crisis, gathers volunteers from around the world to help — both for those here in the U.S. and for those left behind.
so the Ukrainian family can perhaps purchase a car, saving on the more than $1,000 per month in car rental fees. “I think how much this family’s life has changed in a year,” Hinchman said. “This is a very fortunate community that I love and there are now people here who have escaped a war. Be generous, be welcoming.”So, what does the future hold for Petro Kovalchuck, his wife, their children, his once-famous ENT father?
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