Johnny Devenanzio, higher identified to actuality TV followers as Johnny Bananas, is sharing the “harrowing” particulars from his expertise in Ukraine solely with Web page Six.
“Are you able to see the luggage beneath my eyes? I believe I’ve slept a complete of six hours within the days we’ve been right here,” he instructed us final week through a FaceTime name from his lodge, which was positioned about an hour from the Ukrainian border.
The star of MTV’s “The Problem” acquired a name from a good friend of a good friend on March 12, asking if he’d be keen to journey midway the world over to supply support and aid to Ukrainian refugees.
He flew out of Los Angeles the next day and was in Warsaw, Poland, by Monday – understanding nobody and having no thought what to anticipate.
“[I] went to the primary prepare station on this facet of the Polish border, and the refugee disaster that’s going down there proper now could be simply, it’s insane,” Devenanzio, 39, instructed us. “Individuals are warming themselves by trash cans which can be on fireplace and [using] makeshift tents.”
He added, “These individuals had households, they’d properties, they’d jobs. And right here they’re every week later with nothing.”
The truth star was amongst a gaggle of people that joined forces with Humanosh, a corporation whose mission is to assist kids who reside in “extraordinarily unlucky environments.”
When Russia invaded Ukraine final month, Humanosh expanded its efforts to supply “pressing help” – lodging, meals, water, psychological support and extra – to refugees fleeing the war-torn nation.
Along with cash, organizers wanted manpower.
“They mentioned they’d contacted over 500 individuals. I actually was one of many solely people who answered the decision. That was loopy to me as a result of I’m like, ‘How might extra individuals not wish to do one thing like this?’” Devenanzio, who known as himself an “adrenaline junkie” and “journey seeker,” recalled.
“I might publish the inspirational quote or I might give $5, nevertheless it’s like, I’m younger, I’m able-bodied, I really feel like I’ve abilities and issues that I might contribute. … I wish to be right here to take among the burdens off of the system and the individuals and simply do all the things that I can.”
On the times Devenanzio was in Poland, he and his convoy-mates have been up and transferring earlier than dawn.
They traveled all day and night time by van to overcrowded shelters, chaotic prepare stations, panicked hospitals and shellshocked navy bases to ship medical provides, canned meals and child merchandise that they bought from the nation’s “Costco” equal.
“You consider support as meals, medical provides, nevertheless it’s up to now past that while you’re in a battle like this, the place all of the assets in a rustic have been destroyed or taken away,” he defined. “They want antifreeze, they want chainsaws, they want shovels, they want gasoline. They want something yow will discover at a ironmongery shop.”
The truth star then instructed us a couple of man he met in Poland named Alexander, who fled to Ukraine from his native Belarus to flee political persecution.
“This is sort of a regular man. He’s not within the navy, however he’s now picked up arms to struggle for a rustic that he’s not even from,” he recalled.
“What he was saying is what Russia is doing proper now; whether or not you’re from Belarus, whether or not you’re from Ukraine, whether or not you’re from Poland or any of those surrounding nations, you’re all flying the identical flag since you’re all combating the identical enemy.”
Devenanzio instructed us there have been loads of sleepless nights whereas he was overseas, particularly the night time earlier than he was set to journey to Lviv.
“I’m like, ‘I’m going right into a conflict zone tomorrow, how wild is that this?’ After which clearly your thoughts goes to all of the worst locations,” he mentioned. “Like, what if I get shot by a sniper? What if like, you understand, you hear on the information, I imply, a Fox Information [cameraman] was simply killed like a few days ago … it’s like, what if we’re that statistic the place we’re driving down the street and a few random rocket simply blows our van up?”
As for crossing the border into Ukraine on March 16? Devenanzio mentioned it was “nerve-racking.”
“It was harrowing at a couple of factors. You undergo these checkpoints the place it’s simply, like, barricaded,” he recalled, including that individuals have been “utilizing something” to “block off the streets” – together with selfmade sandbags and welded metallic beams – to arrange for “the advance of the Russian invasion.”
Regardless of his fears, the fact star felt consolation in seeing that he was not alone. His convoy was one amongst dozens from nations everywhere in the world.
“I believe that out of all the things, that was probably the most reassuring to me since you hear about all of the refugees, you hear concerning the disappointment,” he instructed us. “However what you don’t hear about is the quantity of help that’s coming to Ukraine.”
Halfway by way of our dialog, it dawned on Devenanzio that this was the primary time he was truly talking about his expertise.
“It’s like, you’re doing a lot, however you wish to do extra, and also you simply don’t have the bodily capability to do it,” he shared.
“I virtually really feel like I’m speaking with a therapist proper now … I haven’t spoken to anybody from again house aside from texts right here and there.”
Following our dialogue, Devenenzio confirmed to Web page Six that he returned to Los Angeles on March 20.
Once we requested what others can do to follow in his footsteps and help, he mentioned consciousness about Humanosh and financial donations are key.
“I don’t anticipate [people] to be like, ‘Hey, let’s hop on a airplane!’ However while you’re serving to individuals and also you’re doing stuff for different individuals, it’s like, it virtually magically makes all the things that’s occurring in your life and your worries and your cares type of disappear,” he defined.
“It actually provides you religion and tenacity. If you see all of the evil that’s going down proper now, it actually provides you hope that good goes to come back. If these individuals exist, then there’s no different approach.”
