Free Accommodation for Kids with Cancer in Ukraine

Dear friends,

thank you for your generous donations that make Dacha possible!

In this devastating pandemic, the Dacha house remains open to host kids who need treatment in Kyiv to survive cancer. Here, we take all the necessary precautions, so that kids, both newly diagnosed and those who have been on treatment for months and even years, could be safe.

Milana, the little girl you see in the picture, is a newcomer at the Dacha. She started treatment at her local hospital, 250 km from Kyiv. However, her condition is quite complicated, so the family had to go to the capital for a correct diagnosis and prescriptions. Soon she will have her first chemo.

For Milana, it’s significant stress going to the hospital every day for painful procedures. But then she returns to the Dacha where she can be happy and serene. Here, there are new exciting things to explore and new friends to play with. When it’s not too hot, she and other kids go to play in the yard. That’s their second home.

Milana’s family is at the Dacha for little more than a week, although they could have arrived earlier if there were free rooms. They were on a waiting list and got a place after a few days. That’s because the house we rent is not big enough to host all the kids who need it. That’s why we are building the new big Dacha that will be the second home for all the kids on treatment.

In the picture below, you can see the work in progress. With your help, this new Dacha will host kids sooner!

Thank you for your donations that make Dacha possible!

In these difficult times marked by the Covid-19 pandemic, Dacha house is open for families whose kids cannot stop treatment. We have introduced all the precautions, we provide families with the necessary protection but we cannot send them home for the quarantine when their kids have to continue chemotherapy or radiotherapy in order to survive. Cancer is a severe disease but it is curable and kids who stayed at the Dacha prove it.

Like Mariyka you see in the picture. The girl was staying at the Dacha for almost a year and finished treatment in 2020. Her mom and dad couldn’t imagine that children could have cancer but they were lucky to get the correct diagnosis quite early which was not always the case in Ukraine. When the family came to Kyiv hospital for the first time, they were at a loss. What does this treatment mean? Where can they stay during treatment in Kyiv?

At the Dacha, Mariyka’s family found their second home. Her mom and dad met here other parents with whom they could share their story, get support and advice. Mariyka made friends here, played with them and their favorite dolls. She had the biggest party here celebrating her 3^rd birthday. One fine day Mariyka’s family returned from the hospital with the last medical tests results saying that there was no more cancer!

We wish that all our kids could have such good news. We work for it thanks to your contributions.

P.S. In 2019, we did great things to help kids together. Please, find our reporting for 2019 in attachment. Thank you!

• Reporting_for_2019.pdf (PDF)