Emergency in Ukraine - Immediate Relief Assistance

The Story of AngelinaExecutive summary

This report tells the story of Angelina, a young girl whose experience reflects Fondazione Soleterre ETS’s work in Ukraine. Through medical care, psychological support, rehabilitation and accommodation, Soleterre assists children affected by cancer and by war. Angelina’s journey from diagnosis to rehabilitation and her aspiration to become a pediatric doctor show the personal impact of these services and the organisation’s commitment on the ground.

Angelina: a brief portrait

Angelina is 12. After a diagnosis of osteosarcoma and a complex surgery, she lost one leg. She lives in the Dacha, Soleterre’s reception house in Kyiv, with her mother. During treatment she began intensive rehabilitation with a physiotherapist. Sessions focused on strength, balance and prosthesis familiarisation. Staff describe these steps as essential to rebuilding physical function and hope. Angelina’s daily routine includes hospital visits, physiotherapy, study and play; rehabilitation restores mobility and supports psychological recovery.

Soleterre’s response in Ukraine

Soleterre combines medical assistance, rehabilitation, psychological care and safe accommodation. The organisation works inside specialist hospitals, including the Institute of Cancer and Okhmatdyt Pediatric Hospital, and manages reception houses such as the Dacha in Kyiv. Multidisciplinary teams — psychologists, physiotherapists, speech and occupational therapists — provide integrated care for sick and injured children.

Since February 24, 2022, Soleterre expanded its activities to respond to the overlapping needs created by conflict and illness. The organisation organised medical evacuations of pediatric patients to hospitals in Europe, supported transfers, and opened reception and support points at border areas. Teams provide neuromotor rehabilitation and psychosocial support to children affected by war-related injuries, and ensure supplies of medicines and essential materials.

Services and impact

Key services include:

• Medical and pharmaceutical support for pediatric oncology patients.

• Psychological support for children and caregivers.

• Rehabilitation services that support recovery after injury or surgery and facilitate prosthesis training.

• Accommodation in reception houses that host children and caregivers during treatment.

Soleterre’s programs combine emergency aid with medium- and long-term rehabilitation and psychosocial services, working with Ukrainian hospitals and partner organisations to stabilise treatment pathways.

Why this matters

The war increased barriers to care, interrupted supply chains and added traumatic experiences for patients and families. Soleterre’s model — hospital-based work, reception houses and multidisciplinary rehabilitation teams — helps reduce these barriers, stabilise care and foster resilience among children and caregivers.

Conclusion

Angelina’s case exemplifies the importance of integrated medical, rehabilitative and psychosocial support in Ukraine. Sustained funding for multidisciplinary teams, continued support for reception houses, investment in prosthetic and rehabilitation pathways, and outreach to underserved regions are key priorities to strengthen these interventions.

Privacy note: names and images may be altered to protect children and families.

Links:

• Soleterre's Activities Description

As part of Soleterre ETS’s ongoing commitment alongside UNICEF and the Government of Norway, the “Strengthening Pediatric Rehabilitation in Eight Ukrainian Hospitals” project brings vital support to children injured by the conflict. Operating at hospitals in Odessa, Mykolaiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Sumy and Chernihiv, this initiative empowers local teams to deliver high-quality, continuous care without forcing families into costly and risky travel.

Over the past six months, we have:

• Built local capacity: Master-trainer workshops in Kyiv and Lviv equipped nearly fifty physiatrists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists and nurses with advanced rehabilitation techniques. These trainers have cascaded practical skills, such as gait re-education, hydrotherapy protocols and psychosocial support, to frontline hospital staff.

• Delivered essential equipment: Hydrotherapy pools, rehabilitation beds, therapy tables and adaptive play materials were installed on-site to transform unused corners of each hospital into child-friendly rehab units. These spaces now host daily sessions where injured children relearn movement, play and social interaction.

• Ensured holistic care: In collaboration with UNICEF’s mental-health specialists, each hospital has adopted integrated pathways that blend physical exercises with age-appropriate psychological support. Group play therapy and individual counseling help children process trauma, while family education sessions teach caregivers how to reinforce progress at home.

One inspiring story comes from Kharkiv, where 10-year-old Olena arrived with a serious leg fracture and post-traumatic stress. Under the guidance of a newly trained pediatric physiotherapist, she progressed from assisted standing to independent walking: first beside parallel bars, then along the ward corridor. Meanwhile, play-based counseling helped Olena draw and narrate her experience, transforming fear into resilience. Today, she visits the rehab unit with a bright smile and a backpack full of drawings for the staff who cheered her on.

Despite ongoing challenges (intermittent power cuts, strained supply chains and the ever-present stresses of operating near front-line areas)our local partners have shown remarkable adaptability. Backup generators keep therapy pools warmed; mobile kits ensure that equipment repairs happen quickly; and a rotating schedule of trainers guarantees that no hospital goes unsupported when staff must relocate for safety.

Looking ahead to our next update in December 2025, we will deepen our focus on remote supervision (enabling master trainers to mentor hospital teams via tele-rehabilitation tools) and expand community outreach so that even children unable to reach hospitals can benefit from guided exercises at home.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to UNICEF, the Government of Norway, and every health-worker and volunteer whose dedication powers this project. Together, we are rebuilding hope, mobility and childhood for Ukraine’s youngest survivors—one hospital, one therapist, one child at a time.