**DARYNA REQUIRES BOTH REGULAR AND MEDICAL SPONSORSHIP**
Dear sponsor,
My name is Daryna, and I am 9 years old. I am on summer vacation right now, and soon I will be going into the 4th grade. I dream of becoming an artist because I love drawing and I am good at it. My best friend is Vika, who is also my classmate. I do well in school, and my favorite food is sushi. I love animals, especially cats, fish, and rabbits. I also have a little sister named Sofia who is 2 years old.
This summer, I went to Lviv, and it was so much fun. My class and I ate ice cream, visited an entertainment center, and counted lions around the city. I counted 18 lions. I used to go to dance, beadwork, and drawing classes, and now I want to join a drama club.
I live in Ternopil now, but I used to live in Kherson. My grandmother, who is 66 years old, takes care of me. We all really want to return to Kherson and go home.
Love,
Daryna
Caseworker’s Report:
Daryna is a kind, friendly, and caring girl who tries her best to help at home. She washes the dishes, helps with cooking, and looks after her little sister. She also struggles with atopic dermatitis, which becomes worse during stress or emotional distress. To keep her skin healthy, the family must constantly buy special creams and skincare products, which creates an ongoing financial burden.
Daryna lives with her younger sister Sofiia, her grandmother, and her aunt in a small rented two room apartment. They are an internally displaced family who fled Kherson after surviving the occupation. Leaving their home, losing everything familiar, and trying to rebuild their lives has been an incredibly painful experience for all of them.
Her mother suffers from severe mental illness, specifically schizophrenia. For many years she was registered at a psychiatric clinic. After the family arrived in Ternopil, her condition worsened dramatically when she stopped taking her medication. She became unable to care for her children, and eventually her parental rights were removed. Now she rarely calls, and the children have no stable contact with her. Their father is also absent and provides no support. In truth, the children have never known their parents. Daryna has never experienced steady parental care and is being raised entirely by her grandmother, who is her legal guardian.
The family suffered another devastating loss when their grandfather died after a complicated heart surgery. He had been the main provider, and his passing left the family in severe financial hardship. Their only income now is the grandmother’s pension and state assistance, but majority of it goes toward rent every month, leaving very little for food, clothing, school supplies, or medical needs. Daryna’s aunt does not have an income, but she helps with daily household tasks and manages the complicated paperwork for the property they had to leave behind in the occupied territory.
Despite everything, the grandmother works tirelessly to give the children safety, love, and stability. But their resources are simply not enough. The apartment they rent provides only the most basic living conditions. Almost all the furniture belongs to the landlords, and the rest was either donated by the church or purchased second-hand at very low cost. They are doing their best, but the challenges are overwhelming.
Daryna’s participation in the HART Child Sponsorship Program would be a vital lifeline for this family. Sponsorship would ensure she has access to proper nutrition, medical care, school supplies, and the emotional support she needs to grow and thrive. It would help create a more stable and secure foundation for her future and give this gentle young girl the chance to experience the childhood she deserves.
