Worrying About Son, Grandchildren Fleeing Ukraine, Jamaica Plain Woman Says 'I Live Two Lives Now'
BROOKLINE (CBS) - It's been 16 days since Russia invaded Ukraine, and for those with family members still trying to get to safety, it's felt like an eternity.
Larisa Brodsky immigrated to the United States from Russia in 1989 and lives in Jamaica Plain. Brodsky's son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren live in Ukraine and have been working to get to safety for more than two weeks.
Her family had made it to Vinnytsia as of Friday, after traveling more than 450 miles from Kharkiv. The journey has been a long one. Brodsky says it takes about 10 hours for her son to go as far as he normally would in two hours. Roadways are closed or destroyed; secondary roads are their only option.
Her family had come into hardship on their trip. The family's car stopped working for some time; two of the grandchildren got COVID; and the frigid temperatures have added to the difficulty.
"My brain is kind of in slow motion," said Brodsky. "I am worried, and I am constantly there. I live two lives now."
Brodsky's son sent her a message describing what it is like to flee the country.
Her son, Sandro Garibashvili, said, "It's like that ride 'slingshot' at the amusement park, when you're flung into the night sky, so your guts stick to the back of the seat, and all the adrenalin rushes into the bloodstream. Only you don't know for sure when it's going to end and know for sure that people are going to die."
In the meantime, Brodsky said she is learning how to live with the uncertainty by occasionally stepping away for the news and instant updates to take a moment for herself.
"I have to come out for ten minutes. We could call it prayer; we could call it breathe. But I have to or else I wouldn't be functioning," said Brodsky.
