Help Kids in Ukraine in Time of War

Dear Friends,

Thank you for your kindness that brings hope to children living through war in Ukraine. 

Sadly, the war drags on with no clear end in sight. Russian attacks on Ukraine spare no one – not even children. Recently, drones and shells struck a kindergarten in Kharkiv and a pediatric hospital in Kherson.

And yet, amid this destruction and loss, children in Ukraine keep striving not only to survive, but also to heal and dream.

Like 9-year-old Radomyr, who fled his home in the Mykolaiv Oblast in southern Ukraine, searching for safety and hope. But in their new home in Poltava, life turned upside down once again when he was diagnosed with cancer.

So, Radomyr had to travel to Kyiv for treatment at Okhmatdyt Hospital, where he and his mother spent two long months. After this difficult hospitalization, he was finally able to continue therapy in a day hospital while living at the Dacha Family House. There, for the first time in months, they found what they had been missing: calm, warmth, and a sense of home.

A quiet and thoughtful boy, Radomyr often preferred spending time in his room instead of joining group activities with volunteers. But everything changed when a guest from Lviv visited Dacha, someone who shared his passion for making videos. You can see them together in the photo: new friends, sharing a heart with their hands.

This autumn, Radomyr and his mother returned to the hospital for another round of treatment. Yet now, they are no longer alone. With your support, they have a community that cares and a place where a child can still dream, heal, and make friends, even amid war.

Thank you for sharing your hearts with children like Radomyr. You make healing possible.

Dear Friends,

Thank you for always being there to help children heal and dream in wartime Ukraine.

One of these children is 16-year-old Roman (name changed for privacy) who has already survived more challenges than many face in a lifetime.

Roman’s family comes from Luhansk Oblast, a region where active fighting has continued for over a decade. They were forced to flee their home in 2014 when Russians occupied their village. Settling in Dnipro, Roman began school and tried to rebuild a sense of normalcy. But in 2018, he started to limp. An MRI revealed fluid in his spinal cord. Doctors at Okhmatdyt Hospital in Kyiv soon discovered a tumor. From that moment, long and difficult treatment began.

On February 23, 2022, Roman underwent another surgery in Kyiv. The very next day, Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. “I had to move him into the corridor when the explosions started,” his mom recalls. “I was panicking.”

Their relatives who lived in the suburbs of Kyiv took them in. “Explosions were happening all around us. Roman needed medication and wound dressings, but there was nothing in the pharmacies. He still had surgical staples,” his mom says. In those desperate days, the kindness of people like you meant everything.

Soon, Roman joined an evacuation bus carrying critically ill children for treatment abroad. “The volunteers called me and said we would need to walk several dozen meters from the Romanian border to another bus that would take us to the airport. Roman could only travel lying flat. I didn’t hesitate—I told them, I will carry him myself,” his mom recalls. Fortunately, an emergency medical vehicle was arranged.

They stayed nearly three years abroad. During that time, Roman had several more surgeries and rehabilitation courses. At the end of December 2024, the family decided to return to Ukraine. They came to Lviv, where Roman continues his rehabilitation  at the St. Nicholas Hospital while they stay at the Dacha Family House, a place of safety and care. He spends his days drawing fantasy characters and learning 3D modeling.

“My son is my greatest resource,” his mom says.“When I look at him, he gives me strength.”

Your support is the greatest resource that gives strength to children like Roman. Thank you!

P.S. Together for Ukraine campaign has been extended—and every donation you make in July will be doubled. Please give today to help more children like Roman find safety, healing, and hope.