By Cassie Pontone | Social Media Manager for the US
Meet Hlib. Only 3 years old, Hlib makes quite the impression, touching the hearts of all who meet him. His incredible liveliness and charming sweetness is overwhelming. He is like a ray of sunshine, inspiring joy in all those who visit Dacha, our newest Casa Soleterre family home and Nesluhkiv's sister establishment in Kyiv. Hlib is extremely outgoing and and full of energy. After spending just a few minutes in Hlib’s company, surrounded by his warm and welcoming demeanor, don’t be surprised if you begin to feel as if you’ve known him forever! With so much joy in his eyes, you would hardly believe the harsh reality and challenges that Hlib faces, despite his young age.
At the beginning of the war, Hlib and his mother were forced to leave her home in Zaporizhzhia. The constant threat of Russian missile attacks was too much to bear and she soon fled her country with Hlib to find shelter elsewhere in the EU. During this time of exile, Hlib’s pain began. Their city of refuge, unfortunately, was unable to offer Hlib the resources he needed for an accurate diagnosis or the appropriate treatment for what was ailing him. The decision was made to return to Ukraine in the summer of 2023, back to their home is Zaporizhzhia. Back home, the family received terrible news: the doctors found a tumor on Hlib’s liver and he was diagnosed with hepatoblastoma.
The diagnosis was a great shock for Hlib’s parents. The family relocated to Kyiv to seek treatment for Hlib at National Cancer Institute’s pediatric ward. Hlib underwent surgery at the Institute and has since been staying with his mother and grandmother at Dacha. Here, he is recovering with the support of his family and new friends. Hlib’s family has their own apartment, complete with everything they need to feel at home, and neighboring families to lend support through this difficult time.
Our Casa Soleterre family homes are the only structures in Ukraine that host children diagnosed with cancer and their families completely free of charge. Soleterre is proud to introduce our newest Casa Soleterre, Dacha, so that we can now support families living in Neslukhiv, nearby Lviv, and now Kyiv. The strategic location of this new facility is within reach of two national centers for treating tumors: the National Cancer Institute and the Institute of Neurosurgery, both located in Kyiv. The children hosted by our Casa Soleterre family shelters in Neslukhiv, and now Kyiv, have some of the most complex cancer diagnoses. These children would not have access to the kind of treatment they need should they have stayed in the vicinity of their hometown. As a result, families often find themselves facing economical hardship, forced to manage the cost of the journey and the subsequent weight of longterm food and housing costs, many families are burdened with financial crisis as the cost of living is much higher than many are accustomed to in the provinces.
To alleviate the blow of such a devastating diagnosis, Soleterre not only offers a place for families like Hlib’s to stay while undergoing their course of treatment, but we also are committed to providing Hlib with monthly medical necessities to ensure his uninterrupted care. These supplies include both medicine and the necessary equipment to administer care and ensure his comfort, such as catheters, caps for BBrown systems, special adhesives, patches, anti-nausea medications, and more. These items are essential for the success of Hlib’s treatment and yet, with the ongoing war, many of these necessary items are difficult to come by and hospitals are faced with shortages in their supply lines. Soleterre is doing all that we can to support these children to access the care they need and deserve, no matter the circumstances.
Thank you for your continued support!
Dacha is made possible thanks to the collaboration of Soleterre’s wonderful partners at Zaporuka Foundation and Rosa Pristina Foundation.
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