'They're really here': Ukrainian U of S student reunites with family fleeing war

Reuniting with his family fleeing the war in Ukraine is a moment University of Saskatchewan student Bohdan Titorenko has been waiting for over a month and will never forget.

Saturday morning his younger brother, sister and mother landed at the Saskatoon airport and were welcomed with blue and yellow flowers from their oldest sibling.

Titorenko says he couldn’t hardly contain his excitement.

"When I was standing there I was thinking 'where are they? Where are they?' but I think 'okay I waited one month and more, but I will wait five minutes more,'" Titorenko said at the airport.

Titorenko came to Canada five months ago for a wrestling scholarship at the University of Saskatchewan, he left his family not knowing the war that would ensue and affect his hometown of Zhytomyr, Ukraine.

His father remains in the country as he's continue to help fight the war against Russia.

"It's painful to say and we’re just not fighting for us freedom, Ukraine, we are fighting for all the world."

In March Titorenko set up a GoFundMe page and was able to raise $15,000 to help bring his family to Canada.

Now that the family is safe, he's looking to move his family elsewhere so his mother can find work.

"I'm not sure if we will stay in Saskatoon. Maybe we go to Edmonton or Calgary for find some work for my mother," he said.

The tearful reunion was something Bill and Jolenne Sting said tugged at their heart strings. The couple know Titorenko through their daughter who is a student trainer at the University of Saskatchewan.

“Is it really real? Just to be able to continue to spend time with them moving forward is going to be absolutely amazing, like they're really here," Sting said.

Once the flights were booked, they immediately noticed a difference in Titorenko.

"His demeanor has changed, leaps and bounds, he said (it's the) first night he slept was last night and it was the first night that maybe we didn't," she said.