Donor Stories
Legacy Gifts Help Reunite FamiliesSisters Separated by War Reconnect After 71 Years
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Imagine being separated from your family at the tender age of 16. Imagine you didn’t know where to look, who to turn to for help, or even if your family was still alive. In 1939, this was the reality for a woman named Luba.
During World War II, Luba and her family were taken to a work camp in Poland. Luba became separated from her family while in the camp. Later, Luba’s family members were forced out of Poland into the former USSR. Believing her family had not survived the war, Luba came to Canada alone in 1948. She married, had four children, and did not see the rest of her family again—until now.
In Canada, Luba’s daughters searched again and again for the rest of their mother’s family, but with very little information to work with, success seemed unlikely. Meanwhile, in Belarus and later back in Poland, Luba’s mother still felt Luba was alive, and had instructed Nadia, Luba’s younger sister, to never stop looking for her. It was this heartfelt and passionate request that led Nadia through years of searching.
Eventually, Nadia expanded her search to include the International Red Cross—more specifically the Restoring Family Links program. The program attempts to reconnect loved ones separated by war, conflict or other humanitarian circumstances through exhaustive searches of various databases of information across national Red Cross/Red Crescent Societies.
In this particular case, an extensive search turned up an exciting clue that Luba may have moved to Saskatchewan, Canada, and Nadia’s search request was forwarded to the Canadian Red Cross. It was then that the Restoring Family Links team in Saskatchewan was able to locate Luba’s nephew. Once contacted by Red Cross, he forwarded the message on to Luba’s children. They called Nadia, now living in the United States, who then travelled to Saskatchewan.
With much anticipation, Nadia finally arrived to meet Luba. At first glance, Luba did not recognize her long-lost sister. So Nadia called Luba by her childhood nickname. Having lost the ability to speak many years ago due to an age-related condition, Nadia says Luba “grabbed my arm and began to cry.” After 71 years of separation, the family was reunited and now connect regularly. Two of Luba’s brothers, still living in Belarus, are also hoping to visit the rest of their newly reunited family one day soon.
“Thanks will never be enough. Because of the Red Cross, we have found someone we thought we had lost.” -Luba’s Daughters