PHOENIX, Ariz. (KGUN) — When Irene Renstrom was little, she moved to America from Ukraine. Coupled with her husband Leonard Bodell has family ties to Ukraine, the couple traveled to the war torn country to do anything they can to help.
"When I think about so much of it being destroyed, that was hard for me to deal with because of how far they had come from my visit in 2001," Renstrom said.
Bodell said he and his wife knew that they wanted to help those in Ukraine.
"When the war broke out, I felt this - not obligation- but calling, if you will," Bodell said.
Renstrom speaks fluent Ukrainian and Bodell is a doctor, which allowed them to get connected to different hospitals throughout Ukraine.
"We went right to work and we started getting donations from hospitals," Renstrom said. "We literally just hopped on a plane. We didn't know what we would find except the connection that we have to the hospitals."
After spending time volunteering in Ukraine, the couple came back to America and continued their work. They sponsored family members, who are going to come in the next few months.
"They're nervous, they don't know what to expect you know there's an ocean between them and they've never left home before," Renstrom said. "They'll stay for two years and hopefully the war will be ended by then."
And they are hosting a Ukrainian refugee.
"Anyone can be a sponsor you don't even need to have a sponsor in the same state, that's what we are doing with the refugee that's living with us," he said. "He sponsored from someone in Florida."
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