HOUSTON — A Ukrainian family seeking refuge from the Russian invasion spent five days getting away. They said they had to fly to Mexico before crossing the border to get on a plane to Houston.
"We left everything behind," Adel Kuchyk said.
Now, they're hoping to find work so they can help support the loved ones they left behind.
With tears in her eyes while talking to KHOU 11 News, Kuchyk, 20, said she was living in Kyiv with her fiancé, Mychael, when Russia made its move. She was studying to become a journalist. She said they rushed to the Moldova border to get out.
"My dad called ... and was, like: 'Yeah, the army entered Odessa and Melitopol. They're shooting bombs. I think you need to go out,'" she recalled.
Kuchyk said that's when the Vitosky family reached out to her and her fiancé. She had lived with them for a year as an exchange student in 2018.
"I felt very helpless. What can we do?" Melanie Vitovsky said. "We started doing some fundraising. My boys were doing lemonade stands. We did a market."
The family offered financial support.
When Kuckyk's 14-year-old brother also decided to leave Ukraine, the three of them headed to Lithuania. Kuchyk said they didn't feel safe, so they decided to get to the states. But, there was a problem. In order to get tourist visas, it was going to take months.
That's when they decided to fly to Mexico and cross the border. The trip took five days, and with the help of the Vitosky family, the trio arrived Saturday night.
"I haven’t seen them for five years. I was so excited and terrified because of this process for refugees," Kuchyk said.
While they are grateful to be in the United States, they said they feel horrible guilt for those who were left behind. They said they hope to return to Ukraine one day to be reunited with their loved ones.
"We could see our parents and friends again and we can have our wedding," Kuchyk said.
The Vitosky family also helped Kuchyk's mother get to Lithuania. Kuchyk's father remained in Ukraine to care for their grandparents.
Kuchyk and her fiancé are hoping to get work permits soon so they can start making some money to help their family.