By Olga Janaszek-Serafin | Project Leader
She wrote to him on Facebook, by accident. He had responded because he liked that beautiful blonde hair girl. After a few weeks of writing, she wanted to meet. He got scared, although he didn’t hide the fact that he is in a wheelchair. Today, they have been married for 5 years, they have 2 year old daughter Emma and they are very, very happy. This is Ihor – 36 years old and Natalie – 32. They have been in love with each other for a couple of years now.
They touch and caress each other all the time, and look deeply in the eyes. Between them two-year-old little Emma keeps jumping around. When you look at this petite, beautiful blonde and at strong, big dark haired man you have a feeling that they’ve met each other yesterday.
He turned me down
- We have met eight years ago. I wrote to Ihor on Messenger, but I thought I was writing to another Ihor. He responded and that’s how it started. He intrigued me. I wanted to meet him in real life but he turned me down – Natalie laughs and their cute daughter Emma is scrambling on her lap. Ihor laughs loudly when asked about their love.
- Beauty and the Beast – he says knowingly blinking. I found Natalie extremely attractive. We enjoyed writing and talking to each other. Everything went well but I got scared. Yes, yes, such a big boy got scared. I just started asking myself questions such as: what does this beautiful and nice girl see in such an ugly guy in a wheelchair – Ihor explains.
Highlander engagement
Natalie didn’t give up. She’s a highlander after all.
- I knew from the beginning that Ihor is disabled because in his profile picture on Facebook he was sitting in a wheelchair. It never bothered me. I didn’t notice that. Texting was great, talking even better. I wanted to see him, touch him, look him into the eyes, smell him. And then I thought that he was offended and disappeared, he did not reply to my messages and did not answer his phone. But I didn’t give up. My brother knew him, found where he lived and I went to see him. I stood in the doorway and this giant, when he saw me, he turned pale and almost fainted. After a year we organized a highlander engagement – Natalie laughs.
Since eight years they are inseparable, since five they are married (they got married on 29th of February!), and since two they are happy parents.
Idyllic life
They both are from a small town called Nadwórna in Iwanofrankowsk region (former Stanisawów) in Karpaty. Highlander man and highlander woman, it had to work out! Although, in the beginning their families were not happy about the idea of getting married by these two, but today, nobody is going back to those days. Natalie is an accountant, Ihor is a computer programmer and he has his own company. Before the war broke out they lived a dream life. They were going on holidays, had their own house with a big garden and view on the forest.
When the war broke out, we thought that it won’t affect us and that nothing bad will happen to us in our small Nadworna. However, the bombs do not choose only the big cities. Sometimes they choose places where there is food, farm animals and fields with crops. And this exactly happened to us. After another bombardment, when all the windows in our kitchen had exploded we started to pack our things and thanks to our friend Wadek, we got to a safe spot under the roof of PAY IT FORWARD Foundation, for which, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts – Ihor says.
They were driving to Konin for 30 hours straight, 10 spent in a cold car waiting at the border. However, this experience cemented them even more. They love each other in somewhat more mature way now.
She loves his inner strength and attitude towards life. For Ihor there are no impossible things. The harder obstacles, the more motivated he becomes to defeat them. He would do anything for his family. In Natalie, Ihor loves her calmness, self-possession, goodness, her smile and the best cheesecake in the world, which she bakes.
What kind of life is this?
Angelina, Natalie’s niece, came to Konin with them. This likeable sixteen-year-old, after a week in windowless basement under the shelling, decided to leave with her aunt and uncle. She was afraid of another air raid. And those were more and more often.
In Nadworna, small settlement in which they live, nothing is like before the war.
- You only hear shots, shells exploding, there is no electricity, running water, heating. Shop are closed, food is provided and delivered by army or volunteers. Sometimes they come, sometimes they don’t. A lot of soldiers are present on the streets, armored cars, tanks. How can you live and peacefully raise a child in such conditions? – Ihor wonders and hugs his little Emma.
When 20 years ago he jumped into the water, head first, and broke his spine, he thought that nothing good is going to happen in his life anymore. But his spirit wasn’t broken. He finished the university, plays in a rugby on wheelchairs team, has a family and he overcome many different obstacles. Nowadays, he knows that nothing will brake him.
- I’ m not afraid of anything. I won't let them hurt my family. As a highlander I will always defend them! – Ihor declares. And a magnificent cheesecake made by Natalie appears on the table. Delicious!
By Olga Janaszek - Serafin | Project Leader
By Olga Janaszek - Serafin | Project Leader
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