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Woman’s dying wish is to get her family here

After a long battle with aggressive cancer and spanning the globe for treatment, Svetlana Kuzmenko ended up in Canton Ohio.

After a long battle with aggressive cancer and spanning the globe for treatment, Svetlana Kuzmenko ended up in Canton Ohio.

At just 54-years-old, her dying wish is to get her family by her side.

Doctors in Kuzmenko's Homeland of Russia said she had just months to live.

That was almost 4 years ago.

"She just loves life," says her daughter, Alena Kuzmenko who has been with her mom in Canton for 6 months while Svetlana gets experimental treatment for cervical cancer.

"She decided to fight," says Alena.

But now it's hospice care at the Air B and B where they have been staying.

Svetlana’s other daughter just came in from Russia to Canton a couple weeks ago.

But getting a visa for Svetlana’s husband was trickier.

It was going to take 30 days. 30 days that Svetlana doesn't have.

"Every day is a blessing for us," says Alena.

She and her Mercy Hospice social worker reached out to Channel 3 News.

We helped connect them with Congressman Jim Renacci's office.

Alena says Renacci reached out to the U.S. embassy in Russia.

On Saturday night, Oleg Kuzmenko, Svetlana’s husband touched down at Hopkins in Cleveland.

He is in Canton now by his wife's side.
The family reunited in Svetlana's final days

And then there's THIS story WITHIN the story.

The Kuzmenkos have been staying in Canton at Chris Adams’ home.

It was the ONLY Air B and B they could find 6 months ago.

And get this.

Adams’ 25-year-old son Aaron died from cancer the same day the Kuzmenko’s came to town.

"I just feel like God sent them as a gift to me," says Adams.

This family from Russia, staying in Aaron Adams handicap accessible room in Canton, with their mamma who now needs a wheelchair herself.

Chris Adams KNOWS the enormity of what they are about to lose.

But in her, the Kuzmenkos say they have found a family member.

"So it was a gift to me and I feel like my home was a gift to them. Because I feel like only God knew Aaron was going to die that night right before they came".

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