Model in wheelchair who fled war in Ukraine appears in LA fashion show days later

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Just days after fleeing from her home in Kyiv, Ukraine amid an ongoing war, a model took part in a fashion show in downtown Los Angeles.

Oksana Kononets, who uses a wheelchair after falling five stories when she was 19 and becoming paralyzed, appeared at the "Runway of Dreams" adaptive fashion show.

The show features models with disabilities.

A week ago, she managed to leave Kyiv with her mother after an arduous journey.

The trains were packed, and both women were forced to switch to several other trains.

In all, it took six days to make the trip to L.A.

"In the evening after this hard trip, we came to the library, volunteers helped us. We came to the library and we slept on the floor," said Kononets. "In spite of everything, I came here. In this show, I can be a voice of fashion, of equality, of beauty and power."

Kononets says depending on what happens in Ukraine over the next several weeks, she hopes to return to the country she loves by the end of April.