Kira on her new bike. (GoFundMe)

By Alessia Proietti

"Dream come true"

Ukrainian girl battling leukemia receives bike and GoFundMe page by local Red Deerian

Apr 19, 2022 | 1:13 PM

In her first five years of life, one Ukrainian girl has experienced war, sickness and moving across the world to Red Deer. But this holiday weekend, she also experienced getting her first bike and a GoFundMe page garnering local attention.

Kira, from Kharkov, Ukraine, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia on April 26, 2021 after enduring persistent fever and joint pains.

Her mother, Olga Kovalova, shared their journey with rdnewsNOW with the help of local resident Iness Kojlo as translator. She said that Kira held on to her wish of owning a bicycle all throughout her hospital treatment and promised she would receive one for her fifth birthday on March 5. Instead, Kira was faced with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

After one week, Kovalova said children in hospitals were being evacuated to Poland but the country was not accepting children for leukemia treatment. The family instead moved to Italy where treatment was available.

While Ukrainian men between the ages of 18 to 60 are not allowed to leave the country, Kira’s father was ultimately allowed, being the sole breadwinner of the family. Due to Kira’s immunocompromising illness and facing the current pandemic, she must remain home with her mother.

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Kovalova reached out to her family residing in Red Deer. Her cousin, having previously helped set up a GoFundMe page for medical costs when Kira was first diagnosed, was now completing the paperwork to bring the family to Canada. Asking Kojlo for assistance, the family was soon on a plane to Calgary, landing this past Thursday.

READ: Red Deer woman brings province together for Ukraine

“When they were flying she [Kira] asked “is Canada in the sky?” because it was her first time flying,” Kojlo translated for Kovalova. Kira said she fell in love with the country when she saw white snow upon landing.

With just a few weeks-supplies left of Kira’s Ukrainian medication, Kojlo managed to set up a meeting with the Calgary Children’s Hospital for the little girl to be taken in immediately. Meeting the family at the airport at 6 p.m., they stayed at the hospital until 3 a.m. Unable to properly conduct blood testing from a lack of proper nutrition and hydration while travelling, Kira was asked to return on Saturday and then again on Monday.

Kira and her mother Olga Kovalova at the Calgary Children’s Hospital on Monday, April 18. (Iness Kojlo)

Kojlo set the family up with a one-bedroom apartment. Sharing the story on the Central Alberta Ukrainian Association (CAUA) Facebook page, she asked viewers to donate any new items they could as used items can negatively impact Kira’s immunocompromised system.

That is when Konstantin Neykurs, local accountant and client at Viva-Deli, Kojlo’s shop, knew he wanted to help.

“My biggest motivator was just seeing how this little girl was robbed of her childhood because of sickness and the war and constant moving from one place to another,” he said.

Neykurs was born in Ukraine and grew up in Russia before moving to Canada in the early 2000s. Now a father of a three-year-old daughter himself, he said he felt particularly moved by Kira’s story; this little girl who loved to dress up in Princess Elsa dresses from the movie Frozen.

He bought her a new bike and helmet and delivered it to their apartment with his daughter, Kovalova recording the event.

Neykurs wanted to do more. He realized many Ukrainians are not under refugee status in Canada, but rather on special immigration streams like temporary or work visas, and therefore don’t receive the related financial aids.

He asked if he could set up a GoFundMe page to help the family purchase necessary home items like furniture.

In one day, the page has already raised $3,650 out of their $10,000 goal.

Neykurs said Kovalova has often burst into tears when he shares the good news.

“They went through a lot but now I think their faith in humanity is slowly getting restored,” he said.

And he may be right. Kovalova said the experience coming to Canada has been like no other during this difficult time.

“She feels so welcome and comfortable like home,” Kojlo translated for Kovalova. She added that the experience at the Canadian airport was friendly and that everyone was smiling.

Neykurs is also asking businesses to help by donating products or reducing their price for Ukrainians fleeing the war, arriving with just a suitcase in hand.

As Kira expresses the bicycle is a “dream come true”, her eye is already on her next big wish: seeing some more white snow.