As more stories of bravery come out of Ukraine, one story in particular has warmed hearts and proved that kids can be courageous in the face of war.
Traveling alone by train from Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, an 11-year-old boy made his way over 600 miles armed with only a passport, a backpack, a plastic bag and a telephone number scrawled across his hand, according to the New York Post.
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His destination was Slovakia, where he has extended family. He made it there safely through determination and grit and has been hailed as a hero.
On March 5, Slovakian authorities said the boy — named Hassan — was “the biggest hero of last night,” according to a Facebook post by the Ministry of the Interior of the SR.
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“He came all alone because his parents had to stay in Ukraine (to take care of an ill relative),” according to the post, via CNN. “Volunteers took care of him, took him to a warm place and gave him food and drink.”
Authorities used the number written on his hand to contact his relatives, and they were able to meet up with the boy.
“Little Hassan is only 11 years old, but in his way he has shown huge determination, courage and fearlessness that sometimes adults don’t have,” reads a translation of a post by Roman Mikulec, the Minister of the Interior of the Slovak Republic, on Facebook.
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“I am really very sorry for him and all the other children and their families who have to flee their country because of what is happening in Ukraine. Together with his siblings, he already asked for temporary protection.
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“I assure all those who flee from Ukraine before the war conflict, that here in Slovakia we are ready to help.”
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The boy’s mother circulated a video on social media thanking those who assisted her son. She explained that she is a widow and had to stay behind to care for her sick mother, according to CBS News.
“I am very grateful that they saved the life of my child,” Yulia Pisetskaya said in the video, according to CBS.
“In your small country, there are people with big hearts … Please save our Ukrainian children and give them a safe haven.”
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.