Orange County couple recounts escape from Ukraine with newborn daughter amid Russian invasion
COSTA MESA, Calif. (KABC) -- Among the many people who have fled Ukraine in midst of the Russian invasion is a Costa Mesa couple who were in the country for the surrogate birth of their daughter.
"We kind of feel fortunate that we were close enough to know when it started to be able to plan for a quick exit," said Jacob Boeckmann.
He and his wife, Jessie, were in Kyiv for the birth of their daughter, Vivian. Their first child, born through the same process two years ago, waited for them back home.
It's as though the stars aligned for the trio's safe return. Vivian came a day early, but before her discharge from the hospital, it was time to leave on Feb. 24.
"I knew the second I heard it that it was an explosion," Jessie said.
With U.S. Embassy services suspended in Kyiv, their last-minute driver selfless took them west for 27 hours.
"He stuck with us because we had a baby," Jacob added.
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Along the route, they saw growing lines outside ATMs, gas stations and grocery stores as chaos unfolded amid everyone's desperate quest for safety in below-freezing temperatures.
The family's journey ended on foot at the Ukrainian border with Poland. That's when a man noticed Jessie carrying the newborn.
"He started pointing at me. He said 'Four-day old baby, let her through!' and then people just started pushing me," Jessie recounted. "It was very, very kind, but it was also very scary. I had to hold my hands out so she didn't get crushed by the people in front of me."
Their escape from Ukraine was temporarily hindered when border agents told Jacob that his passport was fake.
"My only comfort was that I knew she was across the border and that (in the) worst case scenario our daughter would have at least one parent."
With the help of the state department, the family was reunited in Poland 12 hours later.
"We're really happy to be back but our heart really breaks for all those Ukrainians who are still in this dire situation," Jessie said.
