John Cena makes 'new friend' in teenage Ukrainian refugee

 

by IANS |

Los Angeles, June 14 (IANS) Actor and WWE legend John Cena enjoyed a "pretty darn special" afternoon with teenage Ukrainian refugee Misha Rohozyn, who has Down's Syndrome, after learning his mother had told him they were leaving their home in Mariupol following the invasion in Russia.

Cena was moved when he heard the story of Misha and his mother, who had told her son they were going to find the 'Blockers' actor when they had to leave their home in Mariupol following the invasion in Russia, so used his time off during a working trip to Europe to pay the 19-year-old a visit in his new home just outside of Amsterdam.

In an emotional video shared by the WWE on YouTube, Cena said: "When I read about Misha's story, it reached out to me not just Misha but the story of Misha's mom as well. I had three days off from work, right at the time I read this story, and I'm an hour away by air, so that turned into 'We're going'.

"That means spending an afternoon building blocks and eating cake, that's a special afternoon when it comes to the new friends I was able to meet? How special is today? Yeah. Pretty darn special."

John dressed in his signature 'Respect Earn It' T-shirt, denim shorts, yellow armbands and baseball cap to greet Misha and his mother, but quickly handed over his shirt and hand, along with a WWE championship belt to his young fan.

The 'Peacemaker' star was moved by his visit.

He said: "Misha's ability to embrace resistance, that's extraordinary. Those words never give up, we've all thought about those in our lives, they're very powerful. I think Misha's a great example -- Misha's mom - they're two great examples of how persistence can lead to joy, even though the toughest of times."

Cena reflected on his day when he said goodbye to Misha and his mother.

He hugged the teenager and told him through a translator: "This was a wonderful adventure, in which I got to meet a wonderful new friend. Thank you for giving me strength."

He then hugged Misha's mother, who cried and said: "Thank you, thank you, John. You have a big heart."

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