It was tough for the Spiriuhov family to survive the occupation with three children, one of whom was still an infant. The family had to fight hunger and cold and escape from constant shelling. And so that the occupiers would not take away Nataliia’s newborn son, she had to make Russian documents for him.

Due to the lack of heating, drinking water, and hygiene products, the youngest, Vika and Ivanko, were often sick and suffered from diaper dermatitis. It was also hard for 15-year-old Anastasiia, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair. However, the most challenging psychological test for children was the endless shelling outside the window after the deoccupation of Kherson. At such moments, 3-year-old Vika used to run to bed and cover herself with a blanket and a large pillow.

For a long time, the family did not dare to leave their home for nowhere. After all, it is hard to find proper living conditions for a family with a baby and a teenager with cerebral palsy. But when an enemy shell landed in the Spiriuhov’s yard, Nataliia and her husband decided to save their children from the danger that the Russians had brought to their home.

Thanks to the Fort Home program from Save Ukraine, the large family lives in a separate modular house in Irpin today. It has everything necessary for both parents and children to feel comfortable. 15-year-old Anastasiia could finally enter a music school. And the younger Vika and Ivanko spend a lot of time outdoors. But the main thing is that the whole family can now live in peace, not hide for days from shelling, and mentally recover.

Occupation leaves invisible wounds. It takes time to heal them and learn to trust, dream, and plan for the future again. Therefore, Save Ukraine is developing a program that helps children and families rescued from temporarily occupied territories and returned from the Russian Federation to recover and reintegrate into new communities. Each week, we will tell their stories. Help us share them.

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We implement a Mental Health Recovery and Reintegration Program for affected children and their families with the support of the USAID project Strengthening Public Trust (UCBI).