Tampa Bay couple helps Ukrainian family escape horrors of war

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Seven years ago, a Tampa Bay couple crossed paths with a Ukrainian family while cruising through Europe. Now, the Crystal River couple is hosting their far-flung friends from the war-torn country as part of a government program called Uniting for Ukraine.

The Rasmussens reunited with their family of three – father Andriy, mother Olesia and their six-year-old son – as they welcomed them to the United States at Tampa International Airport on Thursday.

As the war with Russia drew ever closer to the family’s home in Odessa, Ukraine, the Rasmussens decided to sponsor and support them financially during their stay in the United States.

“We may not hear about the war as much as we used to, but I assure you that the war is still raging and getting closer and closer to them,” said Bart Rasmussen. “They sleep in the bathroom at night, and their son sleeps in the bathtub in case a bomb hits their house at night – that’s certainly no way to raise a child.”

Announced by President Joe Biden in 2022, Uniting for Ukraine offers Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion a legal path to come to the United States and stay temporarily under a two-year probationary period.

The Ukrainian family will stay with the Rasmussens in Crystal River while they look for work and place their son in school.

“It’s just about getting a family started or protecting them from danger in the short term. And if they like it here, they might stay and start a new life,” Rasmussen said.

Andriy was the wine sommelier on the couple’s cruise seven years ago. Rasmussen said he reminded her of her son.

“His wife was pregnant during our cruise and every night at dinner he would let us know if she had given birth. She eventually gave birth during our cruise,” Rasmussen said.

Since then, they have stayed in touch with Andriy and his family and even became friends with his mother.