My father-in-law, Yehven Nosov, came to Australia as a refugee after the war in Ukraine escalated in February 2022, endangering his life. He had been living in hiding in a basement with his wife, Liubov, after a bomb destroyed their apartment. Without a kitchen, their only method for cooking was an outdoor barbeque. One night, while outside preparing dinner, he witnessed another explosion and was knocked unconscious in the aftermath.
While he was very fortunate to survive, the destructive bomb left him with significant hearing loss. It was only after their tumultuous journey as refugees fleeing Mariupol to finally arrive in Australia, that my wife – Yehven’s daughter, Tatiana, – and I were able to support him in recovering from the bomb and begin our family’s adjustment to a new life.
Leaving Ukraine
Mariupol, now entirely under Russian control, has since had around 90% of the buildings in the city destroyed by conflict. After the explosion that knocked Yehven unconscious, my wife and I endured two harrowing months searching for her parents and trying to make contact (sic). It was a slow and terrifying process; we would post photos of Yehven and Liubov on public forums hoping someone had seen them.
“After the explosion that knocked Yehven unconscious, my wife and I endured two harrowing months searching for her parents and trying to make contact (sic).”
Looking for them far-and-wide on social media, we managed to find a photo of Yehven that confirmed his location and safety. We worked with humanitarian volunteers and processes to secure contact with them and organise (sic) their journey out of Ukraine. They eventually made it to Georgia, Russia, and we were able to organise their Australian visas.
Adjusting to life in Perth
Arriving in Mandurah, a town one hour south of Perth was a huge adjustment. Back in Ukraine, Yehven held a PHD in metallurgy (the science and engineering of metallic elements), and was the director of a research institute. In Mandurah, known for its relaxed, vacation lifestyle, the change of pace and cultural differences were significant.
My wife and I struggled too. It was difficult to communicate with him because of his hearing loss, which made the already difficult transition more complicated. Highly educated, he didn’t speak English and found this frustrating.
“It was difficult to communicate with him because of his hearing loss.”
It was also difficult for Yehven to connect with those he left back home. Phone calls became hard, as I watched him resort to texting to maintain contact with family left behind in Ukraine.
Making Australia home
I reached out to Audika after seeing an ad on Facebook. At that point, we were still unsure of the severity of Yehven’s hearing loss. Audika was able to identify the problems and help us find a solution to support my father-in-law in his new life in Australia. After being nominated for the Give Back Program1 and being generously supplied with auditory support, Yehven was on the edge of tears.
Soon, we found that the shy man who had arrived from Ukraine came out of his shell. Even if we whisper around the house, he now hears us well and offers his thoughts on whatever we are discussing, whether it was meant for him or not! He can watch his favourite YouTube videos and TV shows again (sic) and call his family and friends back home.
“Watching my father-in-law regain his confidence and love of life has been a great joy”.”
My parents-in-law also lost their dog in Ukraine. We’ve been able to buy a new puppy here in Perth for them, which he loves. Now that he is able to hear better (sic), Yehven is back to his daily walks and can regularly chat with our neighbours. He has been able to reconnect with his love of learning and has begun developing his English skills.
My wife and I are so grateful to be able to able to further connect with her parents. We have been able to grow much closer and are all living comfortably.
When we lost contact with Yehven and Liubov after the explosion, we were terrified. Bringing them both to Australia and being able to offer them comfort and support was really important for us. Watching my father-in-law regain his confidence and love of life has been a great joy, and something that would not have been possible without help to better manage his hearing loss.
For more Unheard Stories, visit audika.com/unheard-stories
1Audika's Give Back initiative is a corporate social responsibility dedicated to helping clients in financial difficulty hear better.
