The evacuation was a very difficult test for me. I had a father under my care who could not move. Sometimes I had to carry him in my arms.

On February 24, 2022, I woke up to my oldest son calling at seven in the morning. “-Mom, the war has started” I heard. The first reaction was shock and denial. Later, friends and acquaintances started calling, they were scared and worried. We read on the Internet that Russian planes attacked the airport in our city. People lined up at ATMs and took out as much cash as they could. The next day there were queues at the military’s admission points. Men wanted to defend their city and went together to sign up for the territorial defense. My husband also signed up to defend his home.

Our city is 100 km from Chernihiv. We knew that terrible things were going on in Chernihiv. The city was shelled every day and there were a large number of casualties. We were afraid to use mobile phones as the probability of the Russian military intercepting our calls was high. The situation worsened day by day. There was a risk that our city would be occupied. I was very worried about my children and my father who had had a stroke and could not move at all. My cousin who helped me tremendously during this difficult time insisted that I leave. As there was no officially organized evacuation, I found people who, with the help of a Baptist church, helped people to escape.

I, with my three children and my father, left our hometown of Nizhyn for Khmelnytskyi, which is located in western Ukraine. In Khmelnytskyi we got a wheelchair for my father and after that we went on to the Polish border. On 25 March we crossed the border and on 30 March we arrived in Sweden. The evacuation was challenging for me, I had my paralyzed father with me. Sometimes I had to carry him.

Thank god there were always people to help me. They were angels on earth. I remember each person and thank them daily. But my heart aches for my husband who is in the Ukrainian army and my two sons who stayed in Ukraine. In mid-April we were placed in Härnösand. We got a place to live and the municipality helped take care of my father.

We live in anticipation of returning home. I have daily contact with my husband and my sons in Ukraine. I believe in God who helps us to win every day.