Newly arrived Ukrainians recount escaping war, finding haven in Chicago. ‘No child should have to live through this’
CHICAGO — Each time a police siren wailed or an airplane whirred overhead, Olena Raczkiewycz would relive the terror of her last few days in Ukraine, when Russian tanks and bombs besieged her country.
This sensation lasted for the first month or so after her late February escape from Kyiv. The everyday innocuous sounds that might mimic an air raid alert or rockets launching could plunge her into a state of turmoil.
Although she’s now in Chicago and safe, the trauma of fleeing her home amid war still lingers.
“I feel panic inside,” said 43-year-old Raczkiewycz, closing her eyes and shaking her head as if to rid the brutal images from her mind. “I’m strong. I can try to control it. But it impacts your psychological and emotional state.”
On March 10, she arrived here with her husband, two young sons and a few pieces of clothing and possessions, the only vestiges of their old life. The family is among the more than 6.7 million Ukrainians estimated to have fled their country since Russia invaded in February, spurring an ever-increasing diaspora in Europe and overseas.
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