Rebuilding Hope for Ukrainian families

Almost one year has passed since Soleterre opened Casa Soleterre in Neslukhiv, Ukraine in November 2022. Since then, our team of psychiatrists and medical professionals have been working closely with the nearby St. Nicholas Hospital in Lviv to offer assistance to families persevering through the unimaginable. As the war in Ukraine rages on, Soleterre is dedicated to helping children in Ukraine access the medical care they need to continue their fight against cancer and to relieve as much psychological and economic stress as possible on their families as they harness all their energy to focus on the unbelievable challenge they face. Casa Soleterre in Neslukhiv is still welcoming children and their families—30 at a time—to offer them a safe place to stay while they undergo treatment in nearby Lviv. However, we have not limited our efforts to rebuild hope among Ukrainian families to Neslukhiv—we have extended our efforts to the diaspora outside Ukraine as well.

After the war broke out, millions of Ukrainians fled their homes in search of refuge. While some families traveled to Neslukhiv, where they were welcomed by their compatriates and Casa Soleterre, others had set their sights on leaving the country altogether. Some children were evacuated to northern Italy to continue their cancer treatment in Pavia while others remained just outside the borders of Ukraine.

In neighboring Poland, Soleterre's offices in Rzeszow and Przemysl prepared to welcome these refugees with more than open arms. Our staff prioritized the mental health of those dealing with severe trauma inflicted by the ongoing violence. In a combination of rehabilitation and looking to the future, our team has been rebuilding hope among those displaced by offering inclusive activities within their new communities focusing on psychological and social well-being. Ivanna, one of our excellent psychologists onsite, recently organized a neurographic art-making workshop. Starting from blank pieces of paper, participants were given the space to express themselves and create artistic representations of their thoughts and emotions through lines of color. In this form of art therapy, feelings of fear, stress and longing were transformed into freeform expression, offering an alternative outlet that would succeed where words fail. At the conclusion of this workshop, the act of sharing these artworks opened participants to moments of exchange, support, connection and courage.

For those who were successful in fleeing further west to northern Italy, we organized something extra special. For the Ukranian oncology patients of Polytechnic Hospital of San Matteo in Pavia, a small field trip was organized to lift their spirits and remind them of home. San Matteo is located just outside of the major city of Milan, home to San Siro stadium. On September 12, a bus full of young soccer fans visited the great stadium to see Italy go up against Ukraine in the much-anticipated match. It was an emotional day, full of excitement and family fun. The children even had the opportunity to meet a few of their champions! An enormous thank you goes out to FIGC Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio and all of those who have been supporting our team and the Ukrainian community since the outbreak of war last February. This special day would not have been possible without you!