Dear Sponsor,
My name is Lilia, and I am writing on behalf of my daughter Daryna, who is six years old. We were living in a big town until the war reached our area. The explosions terrified my children, and when a mandatory evacuation was announced, we had to flee. My husband passed away in the summer of 2025 at age 39 from brain cancer, so I took my three children and whatever fit in our car and drove 1,000 km to safety. We now rent an apartment, and my teacher’s salary is our only income.
Daryna is our youngest. She loves lotto, LEGO, drawing, and riding her bicycle. After witnessing missile and bomb explosions, she is very afraid of loud noises, sometimes has panic attacks, and struggles to sleep. She will start school next year.
My older children are Yelyzaveta (17), who studies Office Administration and has become very withdrawn since her father’s death, and Sviatoslav (13), who studies remotely, loves electronics, and helps me with chores despite his scoliosis and frequent illnesses.
Before the war, I supported us with a large household and garden, but almost everything went toward my husband’s treatment. Now, with only my salary, we constantly face unexpected expenses in the rented apartment. My mother (67) and grandmother (87) remain in the war zone; my grandmother is immobile and needs constant care, and it pains me that I cannot bring them to safety.
We pray for God’s help, for peace, and for the end of this terrible war. May God bless all compassionate people with peace and many years of life.
With respect,
Lilia – Daryna’s Mother
Caseworker Comments:
Daryna is a bright, active little girl whose gentle spirit has been deeply affected by the war. She loves drawing, building with clay, and creating small crafts—activities that help her calm down when fear overwhelms her. Loud noises and alarms terrify her, often triggering panic attacks. Because of her emotional state, a psychologist recommended delaying her first year of school so she can stabilize and feel safe again.
At home, Daryna helps her mother wash dishes, sweep, and tidy up. She is shy at first, but once she warms up, she becomes cheerful and talkative. Her physical health is generally good, but the trauma she has lived through continues to affect her emotionally.
This is a large, low‑income family carrying heavy burdens. There are three children, and their father passed away from brain cancer in the summer of 2025. All their savings went toward his treatment. The mother, a teacher, earns a very low monthly salary, most of which goes toward rent and utilities. When the war forced the evacuation of families with children, they fled their home town with only a few bags and had to rebuild their life from scratch.
They now live in a rented three‑room apartment, but they can be asked to leave at any time. Housing prices have doubled, and finding another place would be extremely difficult. The family is slowly trying to buy basic household items, saving wherever possible. The apartment has individual heating, but because the gas boiler depends on electricity, the home becomes very cold during outages. The children study remotely, and the mother teaches online, so they spend long hours in a cold apartment. Water supply issues add to their daily challenges.
Emotionally, the children are still healing. They witnessed traumatic events, lost their father, and were displaced from their home. The eldest daughter, Yelyzaveta, has become withdrawn and requires sedative medication. Daryna sees a psychologist to help her cope with fear and panic. Despite everything, the children remain polite, gentle, and well‑mannered.
Financially, the family survives solely on the mother’s small salary. The children often go without basic necessities, and the family urgently needs consistent support to meet their daily needs.
Faith is one of the few anchors they have left. The mother and children attend an Orthodox church, and she has begun attending Saturday prayer breakfasts. Their faith sustains them as they navigate grief, displacement, and uncertainty.
This family is doing everything they can, but the weight they carry is far too heavy for one mother alone. Through practical care, emotional support, and guidance, HART’s Child Sponsorship Program can help them rebuild their lives after war, loss, and forced evacuation. Sponsorship would provide stability, warmth, and hope—reminding them that God sees their suffering and sends compassionate people to walk beside them.
Your support could be the blessing this family has been praying for. It would help ensure that Daryna and her siblings grow up with safety, dignity, and the chance to heal and thrive.
