Before the full-scale war disrupted her life, Oksana led a quiet, fulfilling life in Nikopol, a city in the Dnipropetrovsk region. She had a place to call her own and spent her days serving her community as a dentist. But almost overnight, the safety of home gave way to the constant threat of artillery.
“When the war began, the shelling quickly became very intense,” Oksana recalls. “It became impossible to continue living there, so I had to leave with my children.”
Facing severe danger and forced to flee, Oksana needed a way out for her family. Hope arrived through a connection made by her sister, whose child has diabetes and was receiving specialized assistance from Hope For Ukraine.
Recognizing the urgent danger Oksana’s family was in, Hope For Ukraine stepped in to offer evacuation assistance, helping transport Oksana and her children to safety.
Once they arrived, the support didn’t stop at the border.
“We were provided with housing and everything we needed—food, warmth, clothing, and all the essentials,”says Oksana. “It has been more than enough to help us rebuild our lives.”
Moving to a new place after losing everything is a heavy burden, but the community at the Hope For Ukraine helped light the way forward. Beyond meeting basic survival needs, the team worked to restore a sense of normalcy and faith for displaced families.
For Oksana, two moments stand out vividly from this transition: the festive celebrations held for the children at Hope For Ukraine, which brought smiles back to her kids’ faces, and her own baptism, a profound step of faith and renewal amid the hardship.
Today, life looks much different for Oksana and her children. The constant fear of shelling has been replaced by the quiet comfort of security.
“Life here is much more peaceful,” Oksana shares. “We feel safer and more protected because we are able to live here. I am deeply grateful that there are still people who are willing to help and who truly understand what others are going through.”
Oksana’s story is a powerful reminder of what happens when compassion meets action. Thanks to our donors, families like hers don’t just survive evacuation—they find warmth, community, and a chance to rebuild.
Gabriella Ramirez serves as the External & Donor Relations Manager at Hope For Ukraine, working to bring safety, hope, and support to Ukrainian children and families.