At 28 years old, Karina is raising her twelve-year-old sister and 8-year-old daughter alone. Her mother died at a young age, so the responsibility of raising the girls fell on her shoulders. 

Karina and her family stayed in the Kherson region for two months after the war broke out. Over time, the situation worsened, and the family evacuated to a small town in the Mykolaiv region. Thanks to a friend, they’re there now. 

After a while, Karina’s younger sister began to complain of numbness in her lower extremities and an inability to walk. After several local hospital examinations, Karina’s sister was taken to Okhmatdyt, a specialized children’s hospital in Kyiv. There, she was diagnosed with polyneuropathy. Thanks to multiple specialists’ prompt intervention and treatment, the family returned home after two weeks. However, after some time, the girl began feeling ill again. This time, her throat and respiratory tract were affected. After a series of examinations, incorrect diagnoses, and a second trip to Kyiv – she was diagnosed with a herpetic infection with spinal cord damage. Intensive treatment began and continues to this day. 

Medications, tests, accommodations, and treatment in Kyiv are generally expensive, so the family had to turn to help from public organizations and volunteers. Our Home Ukraine provided financial support for the treatment of the twelve-year-old girl. Representatives of Our Home Ukraine continue to assist the family as much as possible.