'It's Breaking My Heart': Lowell Woman Fears For Family Stuck In Ukraine
BOSTON (CBS) -- In the last month, more than four million Ukrainians have left the country. Anya Dubovyk's family is not among them.
"This is a real genocide that is happening," said Dubovyk, who has lived in Lowell for the last five years after living in Ukraine for three decades.
Anya's mother and grandmother are in a village near Sumy, which is not far from Russia's doorstep. Her grandmother is 91 and has Alzheimer's. Her mobility issues make leaving the country seemingly impossible.
"It's breaking my heart," she said.
On Tuesday, Dubovyk said her mother and grandmother found their village under attack by the Russians.
Her grandmother is shaken by it all. It's also taking a toll on Anya from afar.
"I wish I could cry honestly, but with all these days, I cannot cry. I think this grief is too big for crying," she told WBZ-TV.
On top of it all, Dubovyk's 40-year-old brother has now enlisted in the Ukrainian Reserves and is stationed in Kyiv. Dubovyk said she does not believe reports that Russian forces are pulling out of the Capitol City, but for her brother's sake, she hopes they are true.
Dubovyk says one of the things getting her through this are WBZ viewers who saw her story earlier this month. One of them sent her a picture that shows red specks representing the blood of Ukrainians who have lost their lives. The specks are under a sunflower that stands tall and strong. The sunflower is the national flower of Ukraine.
"I wouldn't even imagine to receive such support," Anya told WBZ.
In the meantime, Anya keeps up with her family through social media and FaceTime when it works. The longer the war carries on, the more she fears what could happen.
