Canadian mom and 2 kids flee Ukraine, land in Vancouver
At the first signs of an invasion, Anya Kholodnytaskaya and her family started packing up their lives in case they needed to flee.
Kholodnytaskaya, who's a Canadian citizen, had moved to Ukraine with her Ukrainian husband to start a family in Vinnystsia about eight years ago, according to her friend Daria Terekhina.
She never imagined the violence of war would wipe out their idyllic life in the Ukrainian countryside.
"They caught the last train and they found out their city got bombed, so they made it out right on time," said Terekhina, who lives in Metro Vancouver.
Terekhina had been communicating with her friend over Facebook messenger throughout the past month, aiming to help Kholodnytaskaya, her two boys and their dog make it Vancouver. Her husband was not able to leave with them because the country banned men ages 18 to 60 from leaving.
"She keeps focusing on the kids because that's her future; her kids are her future. She's trying not to think about back home – not having a home, not knowing where her husband is," Terekhina said.
Before the family made it to their destination, they found refuge in Budapest, Hungary, for several weeks until they could find a flight that could accommodate the family and large dog.
They had a flight booked, but on the morning it was scheduled to depart, Kholodnytaskaya tested positive for COVID-19 and was suffering from a fever and other symptoms.
Once they were all well and tested negative, they boarded their flight on March 25.
They are currently staying in Kholodnytaskaya’s mother's one-bedroom apartment in North Vancouver.
Terekhina said since her friend is a Canadian citizen, she doesn’t qualify for any refugee supports. CTV News Vancouver has contacted Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada about this, but did not hear back by Sunday’s broadcast deadline.
To help the family get back on their feet, Terekhina started a GoFundMe page.
Terekhina said it was always the family’s plan to move back to Vancouver eventually, but not like this.
"It wasn't meant to happen in this way where they lost their home, it's been demolished and now they have to run for their lives without her husband," she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Some structural damage' from wildfire near Fort Nelson, B.C., mayor confirms
More than one home has been damaged or lost due to a massive wildfire outside of the B.C. community of Fort Nelson, the mayor confirmed Wednesday.
'Very expensive lunch': Sask. driver says he got a cellphone ticket for using his points app in the drive-thru
A warning from a Saskatoon driver about using your fast-food app while in the drive-thru line — a trip to get some free lunch cost him a lot more than he bargained for.
B.C. YouTuber ordered to pay $350K for 'relentless' online defamation campaign
An 'unrepentant' YouTuber has been ordered to pay $350,000 in damages as compensation for a 'relentless' campaign of defamation waged online against a business owner and his company, the B.C. Supreme Court has ruled.
Chief says grave search at B.C. residential school brings things 'full circle'
Chief Robert Michell says relief isn't the right word to describe his reaction as the search begins for unmarked graves at the site of a former residential school he attended in northern British Columbia.
'Endless Shrimp' just one misstep for Red Lobster as it eyes bankruptcy protection
While it's unclear what these closures might mean for the 27 restaurants in Canada, Red Lobster is expected to file for bankruptcy protection in the U.S. this month.
B.C. man shot sex worker in the back during drug-fuelled birthday, court hears
A man from B.C.'s Lower Mainland has been sentenced to four years behind bars after shooting a sex worker in the back during a drug-fuelled 43rd birthday.
'Inhumane conditions': 68 dogs pulled from Winnipeg home
Nearly six dozen dogs were seized from a home Wednesday morning by the Winnipeg Humane Society. It is the largest known seizure of animals in the city’s history.
Ontario's 'Crypto King' Aiden Pleterski arrested
Of the $40-million Aiden Pleterski was handed over two years, documents show he invested just over one per cent and instead spent $15.9 million on "his personal lifestyle." The 25-year-old Oshawa, Ont. man was arrested and charged with fraud and money laundering on Tuesday.
Driver said he smoked pot oil, took medication before Florida crash that killed 8 Mexican workers
A man with a long record of dangerous driving told investigators he smoked marijuana oil and took prescription drugs hours before he sideswiped a bus, killing eight Mexican farmworkers and injuring dozens more, according to an arrest report unsealed Wednesday.