People come in and out of our lives, seemingly randomly and without explanation. Some touch us in profound ways, and when those people exit, they leave behind an unfillable void, a deep sadness. But there is also a stark realization that we are better people for having known them.

Sasha Coburn had that kind of effect on the Coburn family of Palmyra. The Coburns are both sad he is gone and grateful that he was a part of their lives.

"We're just strong believers," said Patricia Coburn, Sasha's adoptive mother and the matriarch of the Coburn family. "He got the love of a family, which he never would've had. We took him and we loved him and we let him go. We gave him back to his country."

"He was very good for our family," continued Patricia. "We all grew from it. We miss him so much, but we know he is with Jesus."

A sergeant in the Ukrainian army, Sasha Coburn was killed in battle on Sept. 30, 2023, during his native country's ongoing war with Russia. While details are few, Sasha is believed to have been in a ditch with other Ukrainian soldiers when he perished.

His body, believed to be in now occupied Russian territory, has never been recovered.

"His biological brother sent me a message on Facebook," said Patricia. "My heart just sank. There were so many questions. Obviously, we were devastated. All the kids came home, and we just sat and talked about him. We had a service of life for him, and we had so much support from the community."

The Coburns initially met Sasha through a student exchange program. Following a lengthy international process, the Coburns had adopted Sasha, then a 16-year-old Ukrainian orphan, on June 15, 2016. With five biological children of their own, the Coburns made Sasha their sixth and eldest. It took some time for Sasha and the Coburns to become accustomed to each other, but once they did, Sasha was homeschooled and became involved in sports at Palmyra High School before graduating in 2019.

"We already had five kids. We weren't looking to adopt," said Patricia. "We felt the Lord telling us to adopt Sasha. He was loved in a very significant way. We showed him love. He found Jesus here, and it made him a stronger person. He would've been there fighting, regardless."

"We adopted him because we love Jesus first," said Brian Coburn, Sasha's adoptive father. "He was a gentle giant. He was strong like a bull. But he was just the kindest spirit, and there was a fire in there too. He had a rough life. He loved the people in his country. That's what he went back for. That was his home. Everybody loved him there. He was loved there, and he was loved here."

"Ukrainians are just so loyal to their country," said Patricia. "(Sasha) went back to his country a couple of times. When war broke out (in February of 2022), he said he wasn't going to come home. He was fighting for a cause he believed in."