Help My Mother and Brother Escape the Horrific War in Ukraine

My mother and my brother, together with his family, live in Sloviansk in eastern Ukraine. This is close to what is known as the “line of contact” in the grinding 8 year-long war in the Donbas. Amid routinized brutality, they have tried to fashion some semblance of ‘normal existence’. However, the recent invasion has ripped away any pretense of normalcy. Sloviansk is slowly being encircled (www.liveuamap.com) by the invading forces.

My brother and his wife are doctors. Given their profession, by law, they are not allowed to leave the country as they are critical workers needed to tend to the wounded. Their children are having to look after themselves (My niece is just 8 years old) and they are frequently scrambling to seek refuge in bomb shelters. My Mother lives a 25-min drive away and is suffering from long covid symptoms. They are running out of supplies and cash and the banks do not work.

I am hoping that they can manage the dangerous 3-day drive to seek refuge out of the area and that my Mom can at least escape with the children. They managed to secure some gas and will soon have to leave their lives and belongings behind.

The money raised here will go towards helping them escape and help them pay for shelter, food, and transport. If it is enough, it will also go towards helping them establish a new life and to learn English. Anything extra will go towards helping more families, especially in Eastern Ukraine.