Decatur woman welcomes her Ukrainian relatives into her home

DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - Cheryl Falk’s Decatur home is filled sights and smells of traditional Ukrainian food after recently welcoming relatives who were forced to leave their home in Ukraine.

Cheryl first got in touch with her cousin Misha 5 years ago.

“Well, my daughter got us Ancestry for Christmas one year and I thought, ‘Don’t bother getting me one because I know everything I need to know about my family.’ Sure enough, we got an email one day from him that says, ‘I think we’re cousins,’” she said.

They exchanged photos and gifts, which gave them a chance to see pictures of family members for the first time.

“That's how I could also receive valuable photos of my relatives. I've never seen any photo of my grandfather,” said Misha.

One week before the Russian invasion, Misha and his partner Dima had purchased an apartment and were preparing to settle into their new home.

But one morning in February, their lives changed.

"On the 24th of February, I got up and heard some bombs just next to our house,” Dima said.

With just a few suitcases and their cat, they left their Ukraine home within hours.

"No matter what region of the country you’re staying in, there is still a risk without any notification, that there will be bombing,” Misha said.

The couple moved from country to country for several months, staying with relatives and in Airbnbs.

Cheryl had been watching the news about Ukraine closely and reached out.

“When the war started I said, ‘Well, why don’t you guys get out of there and come someplace safe?”

It was a 24-hour journey from Europe to Illinois.

Misha and Dima arrived at Cheryl's home two weeks ago.

“I feel gratitude for Cheryl's family, for every single person that tried to help, or even just commented on Facebook.”

Now, the family is catching up and sharing stories and recipes from each other's cultures.

“Well, we tried to do some America things with them. We took them to Texas Roadhouse. We took them to Amish country to see if we could find some grains they like to cook with,” she said.

The couple is happy to reunite with Cheryl and her husband, but keep a close eye on the news, awaiting the day they can finally return home.

“We’re checking the news all the time, looking for some hope that everything will change,” said Dima.

For now, these relatives will be cherishing their time together over a plate of pierogis.