MIAMI – A 6-year-old girl extracted from the front lines of the Ukraine-Russian war arrived in South Florida Friday evening to receive treatment from a missile that hit her home.
Alisa Kulzhynska and her parents come from the city of Kherson, an area initially captured by the Russians but is now liberated.
The city is still under siege as the fighting between both countries rages on.
“They took a direct missile hit directly into their home,” said Andrew Duncan of the Romulus T. Weatherman Foundation.
That rocket not only hit their home, but Alisa’s bedroom took a direct hit.
After the blast, the family was able to escape to the capital, Kyiv, where they eventually connected with the Romulus T. Weatherman Foundation, a group helping Ukrainian families who need medical attention.
“It went silent and then it was dark, and it was screaming, and he said he ran to save her to pull her out from debris,” said Svitlama Rogers of the Romulus T. Weatherman Foundation.
Rogers told Local 10 News that Alisa sustained multiple injuries from the blast.
“Alisa has lost her eye, so she will need some plastic surgery. There was some injuries of her leg (and) her fingers,” she said.
After a 17-hour ambulance ride to the border with Poland, Alisa is now on her way to Jackson Memorial Hospital to receive the care she needs.
“She will get back on track and she will be as beautiful as she is,” said Rogers.
While Alisa has various injuries from shrapnel, the family still doesn’t know the full extent of her injuries.
She is set to arrive in South Florida as we approach the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24.