A Philly-area family escaped a Ukraine under attack. The couple never imagined that when they decided to spend a couple years in her homeland, they would be undertaking a dangerous, frozen trek to Poland.
Atnre Alleyne and his wife, Tatiana Poladko, are seen here outside St. George’s Cathedral in Lviv, not long before they left the west Ukrainian city to seek safety in Poland. With them are their children, Zoryana, 7, on the right, with Taras, 2, on the left, and Nazariy, 3, in the center.Each day the war grew closer and more ferocious, said Tatiana Poladko, a local woman living in Ukraine.
They plan to apply for emergency visas that could permit Poladko and her father to enter the United States, but it’s uncertain if those will be approved.They already evacuated once, from the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv to the western city of Lviv, away from the worst of the fighting. But in recent days the perception of safety evaporated. Civilians who lived around Lviv were undergoing weapons training.
By the end of last week, the couple were worried that if they didn’t leave soon, they might not be able to leave at all. He worked on a doctorate at the University of Delaware. After completing her master’s degree, Poladko took on an internship, then started studying for her own doctoral degree at Temple University.
The rules of the U.S. immigration system also played a role. Some visas based on scholarship and study require holders to return to their home country for at least two years before seeking other immigration benefits. She’s the main caretaker for her father, whose health has been poor. A serious case of COVID-19 weakened his heart and inflicted dementia-like symptoms that lasted for months.