Help Kids in Ukraine in Time of War

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.