Roughly 1 million children have escaped from Ukraine since Russia invaded the country — one of those children is 11-year-old Hassan Al-Khalaf.
Hassan’s mother, Pisecka Yulia Volodymyrivna, made the difficult decision to send her son out of Ukraine to safety as she stayed behind to care for her ailing mother, according to “Good Morning America.”
Through all of this, Hassan was not alone.
Psalm 121:7-8 says, “The Lord will keep you from all harm. He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.”
Arriving in Slovakia, Hassan Al-Khalaf only brought his passport and a plastic bag with all of his belongings. He also had written a particular phone number on his hand, which was later used to help him reunite with his older siblings.
Volunteers and border guards in Slovakia also stepped up to help the young boy.
Hassan Al-Khalaf said in an interview during a pro-Ukraine and anti-war rally, “I got my hope from my mom wanting me to go,” according to Reuters.
“My hope carried me on my way,” he continued.
Hassan’s mother also made a video statement thanking the volunteers and border guards who helped her son get to safety in Slovakia, according to “Good Morning America.”
“Border guards met him, they guided him holding his hand. They helped him to cross the border and let him to the other side of Slovakia. Then Slovakian volunteers met him. They fed my child. They took him to Bratislava. I thank you very much for saving my son’s life,” she said.
Continuing, she said, “I can’t leave my mother, who is 84 years old and who can’t walk on her own. That is why I put my son on a train to the Slovakia border where he was met by people with big hearts. There are people with big hearts in your small country. Please, save our children. Please protect our Ukrainian children.”
According to a statement written by Save the Children, many of the children fleeing Ukraine are alone and under the age of 14.