SEATTLE — Most of the Kateryna Bakay and Daria Bakai's family moved to the US from Ukraine years ago, but Daria Bakai stayed in Kyiv- living for years in peace before the invasion by Russia.
"Nobody actually believed this could happen," Bakai said. "People in Kyiv, people in all these cities, my friends, people at work, nobody really believed. It was impossible to believe. We're a huge European country, so no one believed they'd actually attack from the sky and with tanks, bombing in the middle of Ukraine- therefore nobody was really ready."
The need, for triage and medical supplies, for medications, for immediate aid, is astronomical she said, and it will continue to be in the future when the country is ready to rebuild.
Bakai and her sister, a Seattle-based small business owner, plan to raise funds and organize efforts to help monetarily and logistically - connecting directly with nonprofits on the ground and volunteer groups Bakai knows personally.
"I have friends in cities all across the country, I'm still in touch with them," Bakai said. "My plan is to help local organizations, like in different towns, to send money to different bank accounts where they need food and water. They cannot buy supplies there so they also need help logistically, like transportation."
Bakai did not want to leave Ukraine but agreed to travel to her family in Seattle for safety.
"I got woke up by bombing sounds," Bakai said. "The initial plan was to go underground, we have a big parking, with 2 levels, so I went there and stayed there until the bombing sounds went off basically and then during the day talked to my friends, to everybody around, and of course everybody was in panic."
"Some people decided to just stay in the bomb shelters, some jumped into cars and started driving. I was thinking a lot but then said I'm just going to drive, whatever happens. I got in my car, got some of my friends and we went, we left to western Ukraine," she said. "Normally it takes around 7-8 hours, of course that way the travel was terrible and it took us around 25 hours driving. Crazy, because of course a lot of cities were already bombed, and it was scary and people trying to leave, women and children. But it was fine, we got out."
Kateryna Bakay said the moment she saw her sister, she was overwhelmed with joy- but still full of worry for all of Ukraine.
"We want to raise funds and specifically use the money for what's needed to families at the present time," Bakay said. "Help them out with the current emergency equipment, such as tourniquets, medical supplies to protect the soldiers, the civilians, children who are being attacked- anything we can do to help with that."
They are working to set up a GoFundMe page to raise money and will be posting updates on their efforts on Kateryna's Facebook page.
Meanwhile, Daria says she is still in contact with friends in Ukraine who are facing attacks- but hopeful for the future.
"The morale- mood- is amazing," Bakai said. "Everybody truly believes we're gonna win, like any person that is helping there, they are sure that we're gonna win, of course we need support."
She said she would like to see more support from NATO countries, but understands the concerns involved. Still, she said- all forms of assistance will be needed for Ukrainians in the weeks, months and years to come. Personally, she plans to return as soon as it is safe.
"I'm definitely going home," Bakai said. "I'm going home, I will help to rebuild, I can find a job and pay the taxes- the moment it's over I'm there with my friends, rebuilding my country."