With brother's family torn apart and stranded amid war in Ukraine, Northbrook couple hopes for reunion
DES PLAINES, Ill. (CBS) -- At a loss and hopeless, a Northbrook couple is trying to reunite with their family - torn apart and stuck in Ukraine.
As CBS 2's Marissa Perlman reported Tuesday night, the family is fighting hard to keep their loved ones safe.
A painting of Kyiv - Natalia Basinger's hometown - hangs on the wall in her and her husband Matt's Northbrook living room. Her city is now a shell of what she once knew.
"You look at it, you can't recognize it," Bassinger said.
Kyiv is where Basinger's brother, Volodymyr Boikov, and his family lived until now.
"Very hard," Basinger said. "It's heartbreaking."
Basinger's brother's family has now been forced apart. Adult men like Volodymyr and his 20-year-old son Valadislav - Vova and Valad for short, respectively - are not allowed to leave Ukraine. Vova's wife, Natalya, and their younger son, 8-year-old Artem, fled to Poland for safety.
Through a video message, Volodymyr and Valad shared the terror of watching Kyiv turn to ruin. They have been hiding out in a home about 20 miles outside the city - exhausted.
They left with nothing, and they say it is hard to sleep and safety is not guaranteed.
"(Volodymyr) said it's a beautiful city, and now it's broken," Bassinger said.
Volodymyr is willing to fight if he is called to do so. But he is worried about his son Artem, who is too young.
More than 500 miles away in Krakow, Volodymyr's wife, Natalya Boikove, is with youngest son Artem. We spoke to Natalya while Artem was asleep in a hostel.
"It was hard because they can't help," Basinger said. "They have to split. They can't come with them."
Natalya and Artem also left with nothing but the clothes on their backs. They will soon have to leave their hostel, but they have nowhere to go - with many refugees fleeing to neighboring countries all at once.
"They tried to find somewhere, but they can't," Basinger said.
The Basingers knows their family is just one of thousands torn apart by war.
"You feel helpless when you know that people that you love and care about are being victimized," said Matt Basinger.
Natalia and Matt Basinger are raising money for their family, and others, knowing thousands of families need help now. They would eventually like to get their whole family out and bring them to Chicago.