A DENTON man came to the aid of a young family fleeing the war in Ukraine by driving more than 1,300 miles so they could be safe.
And Timothy Cho admits he was in tears because what they were going through reminded him of his own journey out of North Korea.
When he heard from a friend with Ukrainian background a couple and their two-and-a-half-year-old son needed transport to reach London, he did not hesitate and jumped behind the wheel.
And when he saw the faces of Alina, Yuri and Oscar Krok, he knew it was worthwhile.
Timothy said: “When I heard about them, it reminded me of the time I first escaped North Korea.
When I first crossed the birder into China, I was in the same situation – I had nothing.
“My first expression when I first met them in Ireland was I couldn’t hold back my tears because of the memory of what I went through during my escape.
“Particularly when the young boy kept asking. He thought they were on holiday, he didn’t know why they’d travelled like they had.
“Every time we went on car, bus, train, he had that innocent smile and said, ‘Are we on holiday?’ It was very sad.
“We went to Ireland from London, via Wales. We met the family and I came back with them to their relatives in London, going to Scotland and down the mainland.
“They came from Kyiv, through Poland, Romania and Hungary and flew to Ireland from there. They’d been able to get in someone’s car or on the train until they could fly.
“When I first met them, they had only one small backpack and they were in tears when I first saw them.
“They told me their story, everything was bombed and destroyed, all they had was what they were wearing and one small backpack. Their car and home was destroyed.
“It was very hard to see their faces. They’d been in fear and not knowing what was coming – suddenly everything went upside down.”
Timothy’s actions to help the Krok family also came as a result of how he was welcomed into the community after he made it from North Korea to the UK.
He added: “I was contacted by a Ukrainian friend I’ve known since 2019, Maria, who I met at a Christian conference and is good friends with them.
“Her family was evacuated, so she asked if I could help them get to their family members in the UK.
“But I was one of them. I was supported by the community, the church and local people when I arrived in this country.
“Now I want to help others.”