Most family members remain in harm's way
MEDICAL LAKE – Explosions echoed in the background of a phone call as Nataliya Westermann spoke to her mother Lubov, who lives in Odessa, Ukraine.
Westermann explained how her mother lives in an area in which a border patrol base is in the distance to the left, and that there is a military airport to the right as you stand on the balcony.
Her mother tells her the sounds are rockets in the distance she can hear as they explode on impact at the military installations.
"My mother is a very proud Ukrainian woman," Westermann says with tears in her eyes. "She refuses to acknowledge the Russian occupation of Ukrainian lands. That is her home."
Nataliya and her husband, Ben Westermann, had been preparing for this, and had offered to help her mother evacuate. The couple said she refused, and doesn't want to leave.
That is not the only family Nataliya has in Ukraine.
Her sister, Elena, also lives in Ukraine with her husband, Uriy Linushiny, she said. Her niece, Victoria, also lives in Odessa with her husband and thier baby, Karina.
She also has an aunt and cousin living in Crimea, which has been under Russian occupation since 2014. They have vocally supported Russian President Vladimir Putin through the entire process, including the 2014 occupation of Sevastopol and Crimea.
Nataliya's sister has also refused to evacuate - her and her husband Viachelslav are essential workers, she said. Westermann explained they work in the central heating industry, and they didn't want to leave people without heat.
Her niece, Victoria, however, has accepted the offer to leave, primarily due to prioritizing Karina, her baby. Westermann described the anxiety her niece has gone through over the past several weeks.
"I was talking to my niece's husband, and he told me how Victoria had run to hide in a bathroom," Nataliya said. "She was just standing there holding her baby, just shaking out of fear. Victoria also said she hadn't eaten in seven days due to the mental and physical stress the family had endured."
This family has had everything turned upside down with the Russian invasion as described by Westermann. She explained how her niece is a successful lawyer, and had just bought a condo with her husband.
They were really getting to live a comfortable life, and it all changed suddenly, she said.
After having accepted Nataliya and Ben's offer, the family had to urgently move.
Westermann said they had to pack up a handful of bags, and head to the border so they could get tickets out of Ukraine.
When they got to the border, Karina was taken by her father, she said. He was urged to get to the front of the line while Victoria had to wait an additional three hours with all of the luggage in tow.
Ben Westermann, who spent 13 years in the Navy, said he worked it out to get them settled in a motel in Spain for two weeks.
They currently remain there.
Although they've gotten out of harm's way, the difficulties haven't stopped.
The former member of the Navy explained that he has tried to pull every string, and utilize every contact he can to get the three of them full passports and to the U.S.
"I'm at about $1,500 in just paperwork and fees so far," he said. "It got them an appointment, but not until August so we are still looking into other options to get them here with us.
"We have the full financial capabilities to take this family in, and it should be as simple as that."
He explained how the American government has made it extremely difficult to get refugee status or citizenship for them, even though they are in a crisis situation. He also hopes that actions can be taken or policies put in place to help Ukrainians forced to evacuate.
They have been made aware of one potential chance through a Humanitarian Parole petition and it could help Nataliya's family get to the U.S., they said.
"That is the best way the Unites States can help," Nataliya said. "We don't need more boots or soldiers over there.
"But we need to get the innocent people out of danger, and reunite people with their families."
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