A new child, a new country, a new life for Ukrainian refugees

Three Ukrainian refugees now callWindsor home.

Aleksandr Pavlenko, his wife Liza Smetankina and their three-year-old daughter, Alisa, fled their home in Kyiv and moved from place to place in Ukraine. They eventually went to Germany before landing in Toronto on Mother's Day.

Smetankina was six months pregnant when they came to Canada.

Pavlenko said that they had only two options. They coulddeliver their baby in Germany, or somewhere else.

WATCH / Hear about the struggles the family endured before making it to Windsor, Ont.

A new life for Ukrainian refugees

2 years ago

Duration 1:00

Alexsandr Pavlenko, his wife Liza Smetankina, and their three-year-old Alisa moved to Canada as refugees from Ukraine. Earlier this month the family grew as Smetankina gave birth to their second child, in their newly chosen home of Windsor.

"We saw that Canada had a special program for Ukrainian people," Pavlenko said. "We saw this as a [new] chance for us, because we had nothing. We thought, 'If we have to start a new life, why not in Canada?'"

When they were making their decision on where to go, they considered Portugal, but they said they could only enter that country without their children, makingCanada an even more attractive option.

"Canada has a very good social program for children," said Pavlenko. "We've never seen this in any other countries. That's one of the reasons why we're here."

The three of them came to Windsor with the help of Lasha Dudar, one of the founders of the group Windsor Essex Supporting Ukrainian Newcomers. She initially gave them supplies when they had landed in Canada, but was moved to go one step further.

"They stole my heart," she said. "I felt for them. I felt empathy for them. I couldn't imagine what they went through. I just wanted to be a little stepping stone to help them get to where they needed to be."

I said, 'When you're done quarantine, you're coming to live with me.'- Lasha Dudar, a founder of Windsor Essex Supporting Ukrainian Newcomers

The family moved into a house of their own in Walkerville. Then, Smetankina delivered her second daughter, Emilia, at Windsor Regional Hospital on Aug. 2.

Smetankina said it was a much easier birth than her first. She initially opted for a C-section, but was presented with another option.

"Lasha said you can use an epidural for births," she said. "My birth was wonderful. I didn't feel any pain."

Dudar has formed such a close bond with Pavlenko, Smetankina, and their children that she considers them family. Smetankina even let her cut the umbilical cord.

Pavlenko and Smetankina have an eye on the long-term future for their family in Canada.

"If they are Canadian, they will have opportunities here," Pavlenko said. "They will have a good education; pre-school, high school, university. It's better for them that they are here."

Pavlenko says he doesn't know what his or his wife's futures look like, but they know their children's futures will be very good.