PHX Reporter

Whether traveling by foot, car, or air, a Ukrainian couple tirelessly attempted to make it to safety and meet their family in Peoria.

Last week, Larysa and Vyacheslav Zhosan made the decision to flee their home in Kyiv after a missile landed above their home. The decision was a trying one.

“It was very long way to here because it takes seven days,” Larysa said to ABC15.

The couple’s daughter, Yuliya, said her parents had to endure unspeakable fear. “The missiles started firing back and forth out of nowhere... My parents had to spend a few nights hiding in the basement or whatever without food, any means of communication,” she said. 

Larysa and Vyacheslav first made their way out of Ukraine by car. They drove for two days, seeking shelter before curfew. 

“They got lucky,” their daughter said. “They spent the night at some random person's home and then, the next day, they were driving again and ran out of gas.” After that, they had to walk into Poland in sub-freezing temperatures.

Yuliya said it’s a wonder that her parents were able to endure the trip.

“It was 16 hours without water, without sleeping,” she said to ABC15.

The family is grateful that they were able to make it out of Ukraine, regardless of the cost. “And now, we are here and so we are happy,” Larysa said. “We survived.”

As many others did, they left with only a small suitcase and the clothes on their backs. Arriving in the U.S. in need, the family created a GoFundMe account where those who want to contribute can help.