PHOENIX — A mother and her young child are now living in Phoenix after bravely escaping the war in Ukraine.
Iryna Yarema’s peaceful community near Kyiv was turned into a war zone. She first fled with her 7-year-old daughter to Western Ukraine, and then went to Poland.
She said people in Poland fear the country may also be on Putin’s invasion list, so she decided to go to a place Putin couldn’t invade.
“I decided for myself that America would be the best county,” said Yarema.
The decision was difficult for her daughter, Melani, whose entire life was in Ukraine.
“I was telling her the truth. What's going on is that Russia start aggression into Ukraine and that's why we need to live to be safe,” said Yarema.
After Biden announced the US would accept 100,000 Ukrainian refugees, Yarema and her daughter flew to Mexico and then went to the U.S. border where they sought refugee status. The pair is starting from scratch.
“It's always a difficult decision to leave everything that you have,” said Yarema.
But that decision was made easier by the Phoenix couple who took them in as they start their new life.
“They really helped me too much. I'm very thankful for them,” said Yarema.
They were connected on a website that lists willing Ukrainian hosts with refugees.
Not only is she thankful for them, but the donations she’s received from the Valley community.
“I hope that we will get here settled and that everything will be good,” said Yarema.
Conflict in Ukraine
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