John Cena had an emotional meeting with a Ukrainian kid with Down syndrome who used the WWE legend as inspiration to flee the country during the Russian invasion.
Misha Rohozhyn, a 19-year-old fan who fled Mariupol with his family in March and was spurred by his goal of seeing his hero, met the WWE legend and Hollywood actor in the Netherlands, where the teenager and his family have sought asylum.
Before Russian forces bombed the Mariupol house where Misha and his family lived, there were posters of Cena on the walls.
Misha Rohozhyn escaped the war-torn country with his mother, Liana Rohozhyn, after their home in Mariupol was destroyed, according to a video posted on the WWE's YouTube channel.
Liana encouraged Misha throughout the journey by telling him they were on their way to see his hero, Cena. Misha, however, was disappointed that Cena was not there to meet them when they reached the Netherlands in May.
Cena became aware of Misha's story after reading a piece in The Wall Street Journal about the impact of war on those with disabilities.
On June 5, Cena made Liana's wish a reality by travelling to a refugee camp outside Amsterdam to meet Misha.
In the video, Cena said that he was touched when he read about Misha's and his mother's story. He went on to add that since he had three days off from work right when he read the story, he decided to go and meet the kid.
Cena wore a t-shirt and cap with his “Never Give Up” tagline. He greeted Misha with a hug and said, “Very nice to meet you.” He even hugged Misha's mother and presented the teen with a WWE Championship belt, a t-shirt, and a cap.
Watch the video here:
At the time of writing, the video had been viewed over 4.90 lakh times. Many people even commented on how touched they were by Cena's gesture.
One user wrote, “I'm from Ukraine and it brought me to tears!”
Another commented, “Heartwarming! Can't imagine what Misha and his mom must have gone through. What a torture it must have been for someone with special needs to cross three countries and leave their common environment.”
A third user commended Cena for taking time out of his busy schedule and meeting the kid. “He (Cena) is a wonderful human being and I try every day to be a piece of a human he is,” added the user.
Another user said, “We need more people like John Cena. Dropping everything just to go spend the day with a fan is awesome.”
Cena later tweeted, “What a wonderful way to spend a Saturday. Misha and his mother, Liana define #NeverGiveUp.”
What do you think of John Cena's gesture?
