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This is an archive article published on June 12, 2022

John Cena meets fan with Down syndrome who escaped Ukraine

Misha Rohozhyn, a 19-year-old boy with Down syndrome, escaped his home in Ukraine’s Mariupol after it was bombed by Russia.

John Cena, John Cena meets Ukraine refugee, John Cena meets fan with Down syndrome Ukraine, John Cena fan down syndrome escape war, Ukraine conflict, Indian ExpressWhile the war in Ukraine has been hard on everyone, it makes life especially precarious for people with disabilities such as Down syndrome and autism as they are often hypersensitive to loud sounds, change of routine, and become restless in crowded places such as bomb shelters.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has prompted millions of people to flee their hometowns for safer places across the world. Misha Rohozhyn, a 19-year-old boy with Down Syndrome, is one of them.

When Russian bombs destroyed Liana Rohozhyna’s home in the port city of Mariupol, she knew she had to leave the country with her son Misha. To help Misha cope and make sense of their difficult escape plan, Liana told him that they are leaving Ukraine to find his favourite celebrity and US pro wrestler John Cena.

While the war in Ukraine has been hard on everyone, it makes life especially precarious for people with disabilities such as Down syndrome and autism as they are often hypersensitive to loud sounds, change of routine, and become restless in crowded places such as bomb shelters.

As reported by the Wall Street Journal, after a tedious journey, Misha and his mother arrived in The Netherlands last month. When John Cena got to know about their story, he decided to meet them. On June 4, John Cena met Misha and spent a whole afternoon with him. His mother told the Wall Street Journal that she saw Misha smiling for the first time in a long while after he met Cena.

The video of their interaction was posted on social media by World Wrestling Entertainment earlier this week. Soon, it went viral with people appreciating Cena’s gesture.

Commenting on the video, a Twitter user wrote, “Apparently John Cena has the most appearances for the Make A Wish Foundation ever. I’m sure I’ve read that he never turns down a request. He’s made over 650 wishes come true. Absolute legend of a man.”

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