Tetiana and her daughter and grandson are starting anew in a modular home. They were in Kherson during the start of the large-scale invasion. At first, they faced constant bombings, hiding in shelters. The bombings lessened by spring, but the fear remained. Tetiana faced more troubles for refusing the Russian pension, like frequent document checks.

During this, Kyrylo was doing his Ukrainian school classes online. The Russian authorities insisted on children going to Russian schools. They gave families two weeks to decide: attend a Russian school or be deported. They stayed with little choice, and Nataliia’s small income barely covered food due to high prices. Kyrylo joined a Russian school, though they didn’t plan to change their legal documents. They hoped for Kherson’s liberation, but in October, the schools closed, suggesting a trip to a Crimean camp for a break.

In two days, Tetiana’s grandson was taken to Crimea with classmates. They were supposed to return in two weeks, but the stay kept extending. Kyrylo called to say they weren’t coming back. Contacting the camp led to threats of losing parental rights or deportation to Russia. After Kherson’s liberation, the camp said they couldn’t return because of city bombings.

With their home in Kherson damaged, Tetiana and Nataliia moved to Cherkasy. They struggled to get Kyrylo back from Crimea. Luckily, Save Ukraine helped them. Nataliia went to Kyiv and, from there, with Save Ukraine’s help, managed to bring Kyrylo back.
By April, Kyrylo and his mother were back in Ukraine. They stayed at the Save Ukraine center for three months, recovering psychologically and making friends. The team helped with documents and finding a school for Kyrylo and jobs for the women. Now, they’re growing flowers and living joyfully in their new modular home, thanks to Save Ukraine’s FortHome program. Last September, Tetiana’s sister joined them. They’re grateful to Save Ukraine for all the help and happy to be rebuilding their lives safely.