Grim realities for Ukrainian families months into Russian invasion

HOUSTON - A Houston resident with family in Ukraine gives us insight into the harsh reality that people are living more than 70 days after Russia invaded. 

"Where do you bury your family, in the backyard on the side of the road? You don't," said Elizabeth Wilhite. Her extended family tried to escape from a small city in Ukraine.

"They were out of food, no power, no water. They had gassed up the car before everything happened, and they decided they can't stay down here, they have to try to make a run for it," she said.

"They came back to the car and grandma had passed away. We figure because she was healthy from what we understand, we figure she probably got pneumonia or something or could not handle the stress or grief of everything, and she passed away."

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She explained," They wanted to go back because in their mind we want to have a proper funeral and the military was like you can't have a funeral. This is not the time to have a funeral. You are going to have to bury her on the side of the road or gas station. "

Countless bodies have similar stories for their final resting place.

Elizabeth turning her grief to purpose. She is helping create a system to collect aid for civilians and military and sending it to Poland.

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Volunteers, like Chris Tiller, who she found on Facebook, then receive it. We were able to talk to him during one of his dangerous delivery routes.

"One of those liberated cities is actually where we are headed right now to provide supplies because they literally don't have anything at the moment," said Tiller who is a pilot by trade. "I figured if I could get time off work and rent a van, just to find accommodations or assist people at the border, then that's what I would do."
Humanity at its finest shining during the darkest times.

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"If not us then who is the saying right. If more people think that way we can move a lot more things and do a lot more things in the world," Wilhite said.

She is working with an organization to get bulletproof vests to soldiers and other humanitarian aid.

To help Elizabeth Wilhite, click here. To help Chris Tiller, you can click here.