From strangers to neighbours, two families who were once separated by oceans and war, have bonded in a Caringbah backyard.
Displaced Ukrainian refugees, Irina and Dima Ievsha, and their daughter Anastasiia, were living in emergency accommodation in Sydney when Sutherland Shire couple, Michelle and Liam Gooley took them in.
The Gooley's one-bedroom granny flat was vacant, so they had an idea. Mrs Gooley approached a Ukrainian mother at her daughter's school, asking if she could reach out to the Ukrainian community on social media to see if any recent arrivals needed a free place to stay. A few queries later, the two families connected.
The Ievshas were forced to leave their home in Glukhov, a small town on the border of Russia. Their house, recently built by Mr Ievsha, was a danger zone. The family hid in the cellar as their surroundings were being bombed.
"In the first minutes of the beginning of the war, we woke up from the explosions and did not know what to do, run or hide," Mrs Ievsha said. "At first we hid in the basement, but this was bad for the mental health of my child. There was only one thought - to go very far."
She and her daughter escaped ahead of Mr Ievsha, who was working as a builder in Russia at the time conflict broke out. With only carrying documents in their backpacks, they found shelter in the shire. Mr Ievsha managed to safely cross the border into Latvia, and drove into Germany before arriving in Australia.
"We were all extremely worried he wouldn't make it," Mrs Gooley said. But make it he did, and in time for the Gooley's fundraiser in their front yard for the family on June 19. More than $6000 was raised from a garage sale, sausage sizzle and cake sale, which will go towards helping the family settle into their new lives.
Despite any language barriers, the families formed an instant connection. "We actually went to Russia before we had kids, so we learnt some Russian," Mrs Gooley, a lawyer, said. "Liam also did an online course - he's very good.
"We wanted someone who could fit in with us and because our daughters are the same age, it is perfect. The girls go to Caringbah Public School, which has also been so supportive. The principal Susan Oliveri came to the fundraiser."
Mrs Ievsha, an accountant, is learning English at Loftus TAFE, and the Gooleys hope to help her husband get a car and tools so he can start working. The family is on a temporary refugee visas until November, and hope to stay.
"Thanks to the Australian government, volunteers and kind people, we were able to get out and save our lives," Mrs Ievsha said. "I will never forget the fear in Ukraine, and when we chose the green corridor. I will never stop thinking about my country, my relatives and friends who stayed. This pain remains."
She said she was grateful for the support. "Everything is beautiful in Australia but people are amazing," she said. "I am eternally grateful to the Gooleys for giving us a roof over our heads and for doing everything possible to make us feel at home, feel like we are one big family. I am infinitely grateful to everyone for their support, for not being indifferent to the grief of others, for helping me in the most difficult period of our lives. I hope that someday we will be able to repay the debt and also make someone happier."