A York artist has headed to Ukraine to rescue her mum from the war-torn country.
Mila Romans and her husband Gary set off last Friday, when she posted on Facebook: “I was planning to add some new exciting items to my shop for a fundraising art sale, but after the latest information, I had to go to the Ukrainian borders hoping to rescue my mam.
“Some people managed to leave life-threatening Kharkiv but older weak people like my mam who hasn’t eaten well for a while, haven’t managed to evacuate yet.”
Well known in York, Mila set up The Hungry Artist café and art space on Church Street, York, in 2014, and was also the curator at the Bar Lane Studios on Micklegate before it closed in 2019.
She has been keeping followers up to date on her Facebook page with progress in finding her mum in her native Ukraine.
On Saturday (5 March) she posted: “Looking for my mam who left Kharkiv for train to Lviv Friday 4th March 5-11pm. Her handbag with passport, mobile , money, docs were found on the train station in Kharkiv around midnight Fri, as no incident has been reported the assumption is she had been pushed on to the train and heading to Lviv.”
Then on Sunday came a breakthrough: “Thank you friends for you comments! Thanks God I know where she is at the moment and she is well look after in the shelter. Somebody gave her a smartphone and we are trying to reconnect to find each other.”
Then on Monday came the best news yet – Mila posted the photo above showing her reunited with her mum. She said: “I’m speechless and emotional right now. I will share the details after the second part of this journey . We all sending you love and thanks xxx”
Friends were thrilled to see the reunion, with one posting: “I am crying with happiness! I am so glad you found her Mila.”
And another said: “Get home safe”.
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