Actress Milana Vayntrub is one of the hottest comedic actresses in Hollywood right now. She plays the quick-witted Lily Adams for AT&T and is co-starring on multiple comedies coming to your TV this spring.
But there’s another side to Milana’s past that few people know about. Milana is a refugee. Born in Uzbekistan, Milana left the country when she was 2 years old with her mom and dad. Her parents had endured years of religious persecution.
Here is Milana in an ABC News interview in Italy as the family anxiously waited on transit papers. They had only one goal, make it to America… to freedom.
I’ve known Milana for a while and to say she has a soft spot for refugees is understating it. So when the crisis in Syria escalated causing 12 million people to be displaced and 4 million refugees to flee their homeland, Milana knew she had to do something.
Thousands of those refugees are attempting to flee from Syria and across Turkey. If they manage to reach the western shores of Turkey they’ll pay $1,500 to smugglers who pack the refugees on small rafts for the treacherous 6 mile journey across the Aegean Sea to the Greek island of Lesvos.
Milana was recently on vacation in Athens, Greece, with her father. At the tail end of their trip Milana started looking at flights to the island in turmoil. Milana’s father told her that, whatever she does, please don’t fly to Lesvos, it’s dangerous there. The next day, Milana boarded a flight to Lesvos, compelled to do anything she could to help the Syrian refugees. Sorry, Dad!
The once-resort island beaches are now littered with life preservers.
For the refugees that make it, life doesn’t get easier on the island. They are herded onto busses and taken to one of two refugee camps. As Lesvos’ migrant flows continue to climax, the tiny island can no longer support the sheer volume of refugees. Many now describe the situation in Lesvos as ‘A war zone without the war’. Video here.
Milana’s first trip to the shoreline was traumatic, “There were so many babies and children that needed blankets. They were freezing.”
Milana picked up a family from Aleppo City in Syria, an ongoing military hot bed in the fight between the Free Syrian Army, Islamic Front, and People’s Defense Units.
The father of two explained that there was nobody left in the town. It had been bombed for 15 days straight when he left. You had two options, flee the violence, or die.
In the early morning hours of her 3rd day, Milana arrived as three bodies washed up on shore after , two children and one woman.
Another man Milana encountered had not moved from the beach in two days. He was waiting for his family to arrive. At the end of two day vigil, the man found out his family was stuck in Turkey and could not make the crossing. With no chance of reentry to Turkey or Syria, he was stuck on Lesvos without his family.
This is what I love about Milana. When Milana discovered the second camp, Moira Camp, was less than a mile from her hotel, she contacted the Moira Camp to see what was needed. An organizer responded, “The people here are down to basic human needs. They are hungry and thirsty to the point where some are experiencing some… confusion.” Milana went to the nearest grocery story and loaded up on as much fruit, water, and sandwiches as she could.
… Then showed up to the camp to give it away to the women and children who needed it most.
Milana’s message is a simple one, “Can’t do nothing.” She asks only that we raise awareness for the various groups trying to help on Lesvos. You can start by simply going to CANTDONOTHING and exploring not only how you can help finantially, but how you can pitch in socially.
Every new boat that washes ashore brings with it refugees no different than Milana was a long time ago; people and families seeking better lives. Take a moment tonight and check out the short YouTube documentary Milana shot during her adventure. It’s a well-shot and compelling new doc. It’s getting some great buzz and you can watch it RIGHT HERE!
Follow Milana on her Instagram!
