By Anastasiia Baraniuk | Specialist of Individual Fundraising
For most children, starting school is exciting. They worry about new classmates, backpacks, and their first lessons.
For six-year-old Sashko, going back to school means something much bigger. It means getting his childhood back.
Before cancer, Sashko was always surrounded by people. He spent his days outside with friends, practiced judo, and was the kind of child who never wanted to stay home. Then blood cancer turned his world upside down.
More than eight months in the hospital meant months away from friends, playgrounds, and everyday life. For such an outgoing boy, the isolation was one of the hardest parts.
"We visited a psychologist in the hospital because Sashko had an adaptation crisis," his mom recalls. "He spent all his time on his iPad watching YouTube. When you're in a hospital 24/7, you lose motivation for everything. Now we're helping him discover real life again".
Finishing treatment didn't mean everything suddenly became normal. Learning to trust the world outside the hospital has become its own journey.
Step by step, Sashko is finding joy again. Hippotherapy became one of those first breakthroughs. Riding his favorite horse, Combat, helped bring back his confidence — and his smile.
This autumn, he'll start first grade. His classroom won't look like everyone else's yet — he'll study one-on-one with a teacher while his immune system continues to recover. But every lesson is another step toward returning to a classroom full of classmates.
This International Youth Day, we're reminded that surviving cancer is only part of the journey. Children also need support to rebuild their confidence, reconnect with others, and return to the ordinary moments that make up childhood.
Thanks to your support, children like Sashko receive not only lifesaving treatment but also psychological care and rehabilitation that help them reclaim their lives.
Please, help more Ukrainian children take their next step back to childhood. Donate today to support rehabilitation.
By Anastasiia Baraniuk | Specialist of Individual Fundraising
By Anastasiia Baraniuk | Specialist of Individual Fundraising
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