Chambersburg man rescues mother-in-law from Ukraine - ABC27
BELGIUM (WHTM) — A Chambersburg business owner is in Europe after rescuing his mother-in-law from Ukraine, escaping with a backpack and her cat.
Alex Hemeryckx is currently in Belgium. That’s where he’s from. His wife is from Ukraine.
The war in Ukraine continues to escalate day by day.
“It’s not just about Ukrainian people. It’s not about Russian people. It’s about the world itself. It’s a war upon freedom,” Hemeryckx said.
Hemeryckx owns Brussel’s Cafe in Chambersburg, but his uncle, brother-in-law and father-in-law live in Eastern Ukraine.
“They had to actually pick up weapons to defend the city as the Russian military were attacking the nuclear power plants,” Hemeryckx said.
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His mother-in-law lives in Odesa, southern Ukraine, the country’s biggest port city.
“When we when we noticed that things were getting more and more heated by the hour I knew there’s no question I decided to go and get her out myself,” Hemeryckx said.
Last Friday, he hopped on a plane to Belgium, then drove almost a thousand miles to the Ukrainian border.
“We were able to pay some bribes for my mother-in-law to jump on a train at that time. I mean, as you can imagine, the train is overly packed,” Hemeryckx said.
The train ride to Lviv would normally take 15 hours, but it took about 22 hours because of slow downs and stops, due to shelling of the railroad in nearby towns.
She then had to walk another 10 miles to the border.
“Either you can wait between two to three days to be processed across the gate, or you can pay another bribe to cross faster,” Hemeryckx said.
Not counting the money he spent to help other refugees along the way, “Just for her alone I’ve spent about between $8,000 to $10,000,” Hemeryckx said.
Of course, he says it’s not about the money. It’s about making sure she is safe.
“She knew that as soon as she sees me things will get easier after that. Because you know, I will bring her back to safety. I was her hope,” Hemeryckx said.
He knows not everyone has the luxury he has, especially hitting home as he witnessed hoards of people gathered around fires and in tents not knowing where they’ll go next.
“I understand that life is always a priority. And that is something that’s irreplaceable,” Hemeryckx said. “But it’s very traumatic for someone that lost everything and had to leave everything behind.”
Hemeryckx says some people have died trying to cross the border.
“Just last week alone were nine babies, kids under the age of one year and a half that died last week alone just trying to escape,” Hemeryckx said.
As for his family still in Ukraine, “Every day we’re calling them and hoping, crossing our fingers today will answer the phone call,” Hemeryckx said.
He says if not for his wife, he would have brought his mother-in-law to safety and gone back to help his in-laws.
He served for years in the U.S. Army and with the United Nations.
“I’ve served in times of war in Africa and serving in times of war in the Middle East. None of them. None of them ever felt like what we just saw last weekend,” Hemeryckx said.
Hemeryckx and his mother-in-law are still in Belgium but will be headed home to Chambersburg in the coming days. His wife can’t wait to reunite with her mother.
You can view the full interview with Hemeryckx below:
Chambersburg man rescues mother-in-law from UkraineChambersburg man rescues mother-in-law from Ukraine
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