“I’m afraid they won’t understand me,” Maksym whispered during his first visit to our center, avoiding eye contact.

The 12-year-old boy came to us with a struggle familiar to many: fear of communication, a lack of friends, and low self-confidence. His world was confined to quiet evenings playing video games and drawing comics—a way to escape a reality where every conversation with peers felt like a challenge.

At first, Maksym barely spoke. His answers were short, and his eyes stayed fixed on the floor. But through art therapy, we began to reach his heart. Through visual storytelling, he started to share his own story.

The turning point came when we invited Maksym to create his superhero. For the first time, there was a spark of excitement in his eyes. “Can the superhero be a little like me?” he asked hesitantly.

It turned out the superhero could—and not just a little. The superhero had to be just like him! Step by step, through games and creative exercises, Maksym began to recognize the qualities in himself that he once thought belonged only to fictional characters.

Today, Maksym is a different child. For the first time in a long while, he has made a friend. He’s learned to start conversations at school. “You know, my classmates like comics too!” he smiled.

Children have incredible potential, but sometimes they need our help to believe in themselves. You can be part of that journey—support our center and help children find their path to recovery.

❤️ Tell us in the comments: What heroes inspire you?

This project was created by Save Ukraine with a grant from the Children’s Resilience Fund: Providing Capacity Building and Funding to Ukrainian Civil Society Organisations. The program is implemented by Crown Agents in Ukraine and Integrity Action. The content does not necessarily reflect the views of Integrity Action or Crown Agents in Ukraine.