LI Mom Helps Stranded Young Ukrainian Athletes: 'It's Terrifying'

SAG HARBOR, NY — A Sag Harbor woman, born and raised in Poland, is working tirelessly to help Ukrainian athletes, just young girls, stranded after Russian attacks left them unable to return home and not even knowing if their families are alive.

Aleksandra Cappiello has organized a GoFundMe page, "Help Displaced Female Ukrainian Athletes."

While she grew up in Poland, Cappiello said she is now a proud American citizen, raising a family in Sag Harbor.

"My entire extended family remains in Poland, including my sister, Hanna. Hanna is a member of the Polish national fencing team, as well as a proud member of the Polish army," she said.

When the Russian invasion left Ukraine reeling, "numerous members of the women’s Ukrainian national fencing team were displaced," Cappiello said. "At the onset of the attack, six of these young women were in Serbia, having just competed in the national fencing championships, while several others were already back in Ukraine. Of the latter, only two girls were able to escape, crossing at the Ukraine-Polish border. Those in Serbia were able to get to the German-Polish border, where they were picked up by Hanna. These eight young women, ages 13 to 21, have all been given shelter by the Club UAM, and are being housed at the university," she said.

However, Cappiello said, the girls' families and siblings are still in Ukraine and cannot leave. "The men and boys must fight for Ukraine, while those who fled have no money for food, medications, hygiene products, no guaranteed access to school, clothing, basic supplies, or other needed vital resources," she said.

Speaking with Patch, Cappiello said while she hasn't spoken with the girls directly, her sister sees them every day. "The truth is, they cannot even talk about Ukraine, or their families; they just burst into tears," she said.

Some of the girls still don't even have contact with their families. "They just went for a quick tournament to Serbia, then the war started — and they were never able to get home," Cappiello said.

Two of the girls do not even know if their families are safe, or what's happening at home, she said. Cell phone service is intermittent or non-existent, with limited service, she said.

"A lot of families are still hiding in the mountains, or in the shelters," Cappiello said.

Her sister and others try to keep the girls busy, she said. "But many times, she can see them going into the bathroom and crying by themselves. They're trying to support them as much as possible, but it is terrifying."

The girls, she said, are so young; they need guidance, support — they need their families.

Cappiello, who has a 9-year-old son, a fourth grader at Sag Harbor Elementary School, said the situation was unthinkable. "My heart goes out to them," she said. "I couldn't imagine my son in a similar situation. I don't know how I could possibly handle it."

She is very worried about her family in Poland, she said. "They are very happy they can help," she said. "They've been driving to the border, bringing back friends, feeding them, giving them a place to stay."

But the fear weighs heavy, a blanket of uncertainty. "They have packed suitcases. They have plans to escape, just in case something happens. They always keep their phones charged, have suitcases with documents, food for a couple of days, a change of clothes."

While she lives in Sag Harbor, her family back home in Poland includes her parents, three sisters, their husbands and children.

Worrying about them from a world away means constant stress, Cappiello said. "We're always trying to see what's going on, trying to stay on top of it." Fears have escalated as Russian bombing creeps closer to the Polish border, she said.

The stories she has heard from her brother-in-law, who has gone to the border to help, are heartbreaking, Cappiello said. "There are a bunch of mothers with their children, basically waiting for someone to take them," she said. "They have people coming from Germany, from Finland, from many countries, carrying signs that say, 'I can take 3,' or 'I have space for 6,'" she said.

Witnessing the grace and beauty of kindness in the face of horror, Cappiello said she felt moved to help, too, and organized the GoFundMe for the young girls, so far from home.

"They have nothing," she said. "They left home for the tournament with just a little backpack, enough for three or four days — and their uniforms for competing."

Cappiello, who said she is proud of her family for their bravery and kindness, feels she can make a difference by raising funds. "I see how desperate they are, it's the least I can do," she said.

The U.S. dollar, Cappiello said, is strong in Poland; the money can feed the girls for a long time, help to provide them with food and hygiene products.

"I am starting this fund to help provide immediate support to these young girls who now find themselves in desperate circumstances—cut off from their families and in need of assistance," she said.

To donate to the GoFundMe, click here.

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