LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A teenage girl and her mother fled from the war in Ukraine and landed in Louisville.
Their two year journey to safety started with one suitcase.
"Attacks, like we went through hell,"Â Oksana Marusych said.
Marusych, 37, had one chance to escape the war in Ukraine.
"I still feel like I get trauma, like flashbacks," she said.
Oksana Marusych and Polona Dynda fled Ukraine two years ago and are now loving their new life in Louisville. (Submitted photo)
She hid in the basement for eight days with her daughter Polona Dynda before taking that leap of faith.
"It became too dangerous," Dynda said.
"Extremely scary, but like she mentioned, you have no choice," Marusych said. "You just had no choice, or you're staying up there; and most likely you would lose your life."
In a matter of minutes the two scrambled to get a few T-shirts into a single suitcase.
"My life was awesome in Ukraine," Marusych said. "And then one day we lost everything, just everything."
By stepping onto the only exiting train, they said goodbye to what they knew and loved the most.
"Unfortunately, we got the worst in my country," Marusych said. "It was terrible."
From Poland to Turkey they anxiously waited for another option.
"When we got all the paperwork done, we were super happy and we moved to the USA," Marusych said.
Kentucky Refugee Ministries helped them get established in Louisville. Now, they are living in the Highlands.
For the past two years they've called Kentucky their home.
"I would never believe it," Marusych said. "Never."
Marusych enrolled at Jefferson Community and Technical College to learn English. Two months ago, she started a sales position at BMW of Louisville.
"All your Ukrainian skills what you had before no longer work up here. So it's was difficult," Marusych said.
Oksana Marusych and Polona Dynda fled Ukraine two years ago and are now loving their new life in Louisville. (Submitted photo)
Dynda is also improving day by day.
"In history class I didn't understand it at all," Dynda said. "I was like what's going on?"
She just graduated from Presentation Academy and is now waiting to study criminal justice at Bellarmine University in the Fall.
"I feel like I have more opportunities," Dynda said.
Never leaving each other's side, the two finally feel at peace, with a promising future in Louisville.
"I love it," Marusych said. "I love it."
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