Sisters who were separated as teens in Poland and put in forced labor camps during World War II, recently reunited at the ages of 96 and 100, likely for the last time. Helena and Barbara Stefaniak’s ordeal began when the Nazis invaded Poland in 1939, and the sisters were taken to separate work camps. They endured three years apart, but were miraculously reunited in Germany after being liberated by American forces.
After the war, the sisters immigrated to the United States, settling on the East Coast with their husbands. They stayed close, frequently visited each other and even took a trip back to Poland together in the 1970s. Eventually, Helena's declining health and the distance between them made reunions challenging. With the help of the Wish of a Lifetime nonprofit, the sisters recently shared an emotional reunion, which they admit, at their age, will likely be their last.
The sisters recall the harshness of their time in the labor camps, including relentless work, hunger, and cold, but they found comfort in their eventual reunion and the lives they built after the war, having both married and raised families. They’re grateful for their lives and proud of having persevered through dark times. Reflecting on the difficulty of their journey, Helena sums it up, saying, “That's life. And somehow, we survive."
Source: PEOPLE