Captain Zlatoslava Karga sprang into action as soon as his mother, Luba, agreed to flee the war-torn country.

“I immediately contacted several of my friends in Ukraine, asking if they knew anyone who helps elderly and vulnerable populations to escape from Kyiv,” Captain Karga said.

The Ukrainian-American citizen worked tirelessly to bring her mother to her home in Vacaville.

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“I had nearly two weeks of sleepless nights. Extreme anxiety,” Captain Karga said. “I was literally running on adrenaline because I was living on Ukrainian time and my brain was constantly working.”

She planned her mother’s escape over a period of two weeks. Luba goes from hideout to hideout – leaving everything behind.

“It’s a huge sadness,” said Luba, her daughter translating. “I was living my life. Everything I know, my heirlooms, family ancestral things, family albums, my job, my cat, everything.”

Captain Karga calls her husband his greatest support.

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“I was kind of trying to play the role of my wife’s assistant,” Rob Rigor said. “I was just thinking about what I could do to not get in her way and support her in whatever she had to do.”

And that meant traveling to Poland to pick up his wife and mother-in-law who is among the millions of Ukrainians who have fled.

“I think it was seven buses until I finally found the one she was in and when I saw her coming out I ran and grabbed her bags and hugged her in my arms,” ​​Rigor said.

Luba explained that she felt lucky to be safe and free on her family’s property in Northern California.

“First of all, I can’t express how grateful I am to the American people,” she said.

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Captain Karga credits his Air Force experience with bringing his mother to safety.

“Just the fact that I’m a woman. I’m a captain and I serve my country has empowered me,” she said. “I am a leader who is able to make decisions and stick to them without fear.”

As for how long her mother would stay, Luba said, “Only time will tell.”

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