ST. LOUIS — In the halls of Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital in St. Louis 7-year-old Yeva Kapusterynska, a Ukrainian refugee, is fighting to reclaim her life after a series of unimaginable challenges.
Fleeing War, Finding Hope
The Kapusterynska family's journey began in Odesa, Ukraine, where war forced them to leave everything behind.
"When the war started we were hoping that things would resolve sooner but it has not," Yeva's father, Yevgeniy, explained through an interpreter.
Seeking safety, the family connected with "Welcome US," an organization that matches refugees with American hosts. Enter Joe Wiegman of Oxford, Kansas, who had recently lost both his wife and mother to cancer. "It was exactly what I needed," Wiegman shared. "You know, this whole thing was a bit self-serving, you know, I just, I needed to help myself and by helping them, they're helping me."
Tragedy Strikes
The Kapusterynskas arrived in America last September, full of hope. But on December 2, just two months later, tragedy struck. Their car was hit head-on by a drunked driver, shattering their American dream.
Yeva's mother, Inna, recalled the harrowing experience through an interpreter, "The whole family was injured and Ina was in her own room in emergency department. So she didn't know what happened to the rest of her family."
Little Yeva bore the brunt of the impact, suffering both a traumatic brain injury and severe spinal cord damage. Dr. Nick Holekamp of Ranken Jordan described her condition: "She was not able to sit up or stand, she wasn't able to talk or feed herself. Uh, she was totally dependent for care and really precarious, uh, both physically and psychologically."
A Bridge to Recovery
After a month in intensive care at a Kansas hospital, the family was transferred to Ranken Jordan, which offered world-class care at no cost. Here, an unexpected connection would help bridge their past with their uncertain future.
Dr. Eugene Evra, raised by Ukrainian parents, became not just Yeva's doctor but a lifeline for the family. "When I heard that there is a family from Ukraine that just came to this country to start new life, got in horrible accident. That was very clear to me that we need to get involved to help this family the best we could," Dr. Evra shared.
Over the past five months, Yeva has become a testament to the power of determination. Dr. Evra noted, "She's strong. She's very motivated. She's doing things that family would have never imagined she would be doing."
Through hard work and intense therapy, Yeva has regained control of her upper body, her spirit fueled by the hope of someday walking again. Dr. Holekamp said, "She's still doing some outpatient therapy here at Ranken-Jordan continuing her recovery, getting stronger, getting more independent."
A New Chapter
While Yeva's journey is far from over, her progress has given her family renewed hope. "It is a remarkable place where they made a lot of connections," Inna said. "Uh, they treated us not just medical professionals, but just as a family."
From war-torn Ukraine to a devastating accident in America, the Kapusterynskas have endured the unthinkable. Yet at Ranken Jordan, they've found more than healing - they've rediscovered the strength to write their own next chapter.
Dr. Holekamp remains optimistic about their future: "I think she's going to do really well and her family's going to do really well."
At Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital, broken dreams are often mended and shattered hopes pieced back together. For Yeva and her family, it has become the place where their resilience shines brightest, illuminating a path forward in their extraordinary journey.
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