By Kseniya Shetrit
When Ludmila and Ion met in the first grade, they could not have known that their love story would span decades and continents.
They grew up together in Romania, until the Holocaust ripped their world apart.
They lost family, friends, and community. The horror and trauma of that experience was far beyond what anyone should ever have to endure. For their safety, they fled Romania and began their life together in New York.
Adjusting to a new country wasn’t easy, but their love carried them through 60 years of marriage. As they aged, life got harder. Ludmila became very sick and despite their devotion to one another, they desperately needed medical home care to help them with Ludmila’s illness.
It was clear from the moment I met them that they were still deeply in love, but terrified that they might be separated by Ludmila’s illness. And their insurance company would not provide the homecare she needed.
I fought to get the couple around-the-clock home care, so they could continue to live their lives in their own home, together.
This Valentine’s Day, we celebrate their love and health.
Kseniya Shetrit is a supervising attorney with NYLAG’s Public Benefits Unit.
