“There was an explosion near our neighbors. I knew we had to get out,” recalls Danylo, who was recently discharged from the Armed Forces of Ukraine due to a spinal injury.
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Air-dropped bombs, kamikaze drones, and flying debris had become a terrifying part of daily life for Danylo’s family. But what scared him most wasn’t for his own life — it was for his 3-year-old son, Stas, who’s just learning to speak but already knows: when you hear an explosion, you run.
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Together with his wife, Oksana, they made the decision to flee the war for a second time. First, from Mariupol, when they chose to keep their Ukrainian citizenship. Then again, from Danylo’s parents’ home — a place he was reluctant to leave until the very last moment.
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Fortunately, the family reached out to our evacuation team, who helped them relocate to a safer area. After quickly gathering their essentials, they hit the road and, just a few days later, arrived at our Center for Hope and Recovery. For the first time in a long while, they could finally breathe and sleep in peace.
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Now, the family is slowly rebuilding their life. Oksana and Danylo are looking for jobs. Danylo hopes to work online, though his health still needs attention. Stas is smiling again, enjoying time with other children — the result of consistent sessions with a speech therapist and a psychologist. His dad dreams of getting him proper dental care and says gratefully,

“Thank you for giving us a chance to start over.”
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Behind every evacuation is a life saved — and a new future made possible.
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Thanks to our partners Aktion Deutschland Hilft and LandsAid e.V. for helping us save Ukrainian families.