'Help, Please Help': Colorado Ukrainian Woman Fears For Country And Family

LONE TREE, Colo. (CBS4) - A Lone Tree woman is sharing never-before-seen videos and pictures from Ukraine. Yuliyanna Maksymenko, who was born in Ukraine and came here at the age of 16, says she wants the world to see what is happening through the eyes of someone who is living it.

Her cousin has been sending her pictures and video daily from her hometown of Kharkiv, a place she barely recognizes now. The bombing has left the city in ruins.

"You mentally go into a place where you go, 'This is what it looked like ten, 15 years ago,' and then you go into, 'Oh my god, this is what it looks like now.' My cousins, my aunts, and uncles are there," said Maksymenko.

Most of her family, she says, has stayed, even as the bombing has intensified.

"The character of every Ukrainian person is so strong. They simply want their home back. No one should come in somebody else's home and say, 'You know what, no it's mine and no longer yours,'" she said.

She asked her cousin to document the utter devastation, convinced if the United States could only see the bunkers filled with children and newborn babies and if we only knew the living hell that has become her family and friend's world, we would do more to help beyond military supplies.

"Please close the air space over Ukraine. This country has an active war. It got invaded. Why is nobody doing anything about it? You cannot stand and watch people dying. Every day kids are losing families," said Maksymenko.

She is also calling on the U-S to extend temporary protected status to Ukrainians here on student visas and to send humanitarian aid.

"No supplies, have no medical care, not even a blanket or spare diaper. It's insane what's happening right now. It seems like the resources that are coming are coming from western and eastern Europe," said Maksymenko.

That is also where millions of Ukrainians have fled. Maksymenko fears they may never have a home to return to,

"Someone has to vouch for Ukraine. Help. Please help," she said.

Maksymenko has set up a nonprofit to collect donations of new clothes, medical supplies, and other necessities for Ukrainians.

LINK: Peace For UKR Instagram | Peace For UKR Donations | Peace For UKR Email