"Just a few weeks ago my little girl was talking about butterflies, fairies, the fish in the sea. Now she is asking me about the rockets in the sky and how they might destroy our home."
Speaking from her house in Lviv, Ukraine, mum-of-three Natalia Hevak hopes to bring her young family away to live in Glasgow, where she studied 20 years ago.
The English teacher and shop owner lives with her husband Liubomyr and their three children, Levko, 13, Roman, six and four-year-old daughter Marta. Levko has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and has been in a wheelchair for the last two years.
Natalia studied English at Cardonald College in 2002 and was a much-loved server at Partick restaurant Papa Gills before her six-month visa ran out and she was forced to return home.
"I was only 21 when I came to Scotland, but it is a beautiful country. I love Buchanan Street, I love Loch Lomond," she said.
"I always planned to bring my children to visit one day – but not like this."
Since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, her once relatively calm city near the Polish border has found itself at the heart of Europe's worst refugee crisis since the Second World War.
Tens of thousands from across the country pass through Lviv as a key stop on their journey, sleeping in sports halls and schools.
Despite Lviv's status as a haven from the conflict, there are growing fears its strategic importance channeling weapons from the west will make it a target for Russian forces.
Cruise missile strikes on a military base outside the city of Lviv claimed 35 lives and injured more than 130 on Sunday – described as a "significant escalation" due to its proximity with Poland, a NATO member.
"The air sirens have been switched off now,” she told Glasgow Live. ”We can’t carry Levko down to the cellar so we sit in blankets in the corridor, where the walls are strong.
"The kids are terrified. We try to keep them away from the news, other cities where buildings are on fire and other children are dying. They haven’t seen the tanks, the machines, the fire out there, they only know about the rockets. But they know they have to hide."
Schools have been closed for in-person learning and the children attend their classes online. Despite Natalia and Liubomyr's efforts, their children are learning more about the war that rages on their doorstep.
“My son Roman thinks he is older than six. He wants to get strong and go to fight and defend his country.
"He told me, ‘Mummy, everything will be okay. I got money for my birthday and you can have it if you need it. It’s heartbreaking.
“Levko has a younger mind and he is happy in his own world. We think it’s better that way. But he knows when something is wrong.
"He asks me ‘Mummy, why are you sad?’ and ‘The weather is nice outside. When can we go to the seaside? He doesn't understand why we can't."
Natalia and Liubomyr’s parents are also staying in Lviv. Both families have been helping bring medicines, sleeping bags and other supplies to exhausted families queuing for kilometres at the Polish border and at the train station.
She has donated winter clothes from her shop to the Ukrainian army while her husband has helped house refugees in empty rooms he owns above his car wash.
"I am so proud of our country and how we have helped. My town has opened up a concert hall filled with supplies. There has been such a huge effort to defend our people.
“But we ask NATO to close the sky. We can deal with the Russians on the ground, but we cannot stop the attacks in the sky. We don’t know when they will next hit a school or a hospital. I fear our home will no longer be here in six months’ time."
The family have remained since the Ukrainian government temporarily banned men aged 18 to 60 from leaving the country and urged to join the army.
"I couldn't leave my children without their father," Natalia said.
But they have recently been told by border officials Liubomyr can go with them as he has three children.
Natalia has been contacted by friends in Glasgow offering support – but now she is in need of a home for her family to live.
"When I heard my friend’s accent for the first time in years on the phone, I had tears in my eyes," she said. "I still have the tartan scarf and thistle necklace my friends got me as a leaving gift.
"The Scottish people are so friendly and welcoming. I remember the smiles on their faces – even if the weather isn’t very good."
She added: "I know I could find work in Glasgow and pay my bills. I hope it would only be for a few months.
"I feel devastated to leave behind our home, our jobs, our church and our parents, who want to stay.
"But, right now, Ukraine is not safe. We will return to our country when it is time to rebuild it to its former strength – but we cannot stay while it is burning. Not with our children."
Anyone who has a home or support to offer Natalia and her family can email news@glasgowlive.co.uk. Visit the Homes for Ukraine scheme page for more information.
