During the years preceeding WWII, Krystyna Danko, a Polish orphan from the town of Otwock, formed a close friendship with the oldest daughter of a Jewish family. As a result of the bond between the two girls, Krystyna spent a great deal of time in the Kokoszko family’s home where she found warmth and emotional support. After the war began, Krystyna, at great personal risk, went to incredible lengths to help the Kokoszko family escape the Nazis.
She hid the father, mother and oldest daughter in a secret location and sent the youngest daughter, age 11, to on a train from Otwock, to an orphanage in Warsaw. Krystyna became the liaison between the family and the youngest daughter- carrying messages and information back and forth. In addition, she supplied the family with food, clothing, and money. Krystyna, known as a modest woman, asked nothing in return for her extraordinary and heroic efforts, claiming that it was her moral obligation as a human being.
Maria Kokoszko-Barton, the youngest daughter of the Kokoszko family, submitted the eyewitness testimony to Yad Vashem that led to Krystyna Danko being honored as a Righteous Among the Nations.
