WATCH: This family is working to get a loved one who escaped Ukraine to Kelowna

• Mike McMahon’s father-in-law has fled to Poland from Kiev
• The Kelowna family is working and fundraising to help him come to Canada

Mike McMahon hoped his father-in-law’s first time coming to Canada would be under better circumstances.

But 69-year-old Andriy Panshyn, who has lived in Ukraine for over 40 years, has fled to Warsaw, Poland, as a refugee of war. His family in Kelowna has watched helplessly from half a world away, working tirelessly to get him to the Okanagan.

“It’s actually been a nightmare since the whole thing started, watching everything on the news and seeing just one horror after another,” McMahon told Kelowna10.

His wife of 20 years grew up in Kiev – the city where they got married.

Now, McMahon reads the news and see areas he visited, and places his wife remembers from her childhood, under attack by Russian forces.

McMahon said, when the attack started, Panshyn’s friends and neighbours took refuge in the underground metro station or left the country, but he initially refused to go.

He felt safer in his home, despite the fact bombs were falling and exploding outside his window.

McMahon’s wife called her papa everyday and was finally able to urge him to escape.

Without even a coat, he took his passport and just the clothes on his back and left his home. He took a train to get as close to Poland as possible before walking the rest of the way and eventually making it to Warsaw.

The Polish people have been treating Panshyn well, giving him food, accommodation, and living essentials, McMahon said.

Right now, it’s a waiting game.

Panshyn has been approved for a visa to come to Canada but must finalize applications next week.

McMahon said the wait has been difficult and that Panshyn has both good and bad days, feeling everything from fear and uncertainty to devastation about what’s happening to his homeland.

After next week, McMahon hopes the next steps will be clearer. The family’s first goal will be to get him a plane ticket to Kelowna. To offset the unexpected costs, a GoFundMe has been set up.

“The purpose behind [the GoFundMe] is just to get my father in-law here and taken care of,” McMahon said. “He does have health issues, and we want to be sure that that’s not going to be a problem … and to have food and clothing.”

Part of the fundraiser will be dedicated for six months worth of health insurance.

McMahon believes his father in-law will eventually want to return to his home but due to the uncertain circumstances, they’re preparing for the reality that he may be staying in Canada for awhile.