He was just three years old when his father, a soldier, was killed in the 2015 battles in the Donetsk region. Nikita learned to cope with his father’s absence from a young age, yet he often thinks of him. However, the most heartbreaking moment came with the loss of his mother in 2022.

Since her husband’s passing, Olha has single-handedly raised her son while working as a doctor in her hometown of Kharkiv. However, when the full-scale war began, Olha quickly chose to leave her job, home, and familiar life behind to shield Nikita from the bombardments. They moved to Lviv to stay with the boy’s aunt. Yet, in the summer, Olha heard about the dire need for doctors back in Kharkiv and decided to return, needing to work to support her son.

Tragically, on August 17, Olha perished in a rocket attack in Saltivka. Nikita, unaware of this, believes his mother is still in Kharkiv, in their home. The boy finds it incredibly hard to come to terms with this loss. His aunt says that Olha lived for her son, dedicating every action to his happiness.

Now in Lviv with his aunt, Nikita aspires to be a programmer, a dream he shared with his mother. His joy was immense when he received a tablet and other gifts from Save Ukraine, enabling him to enroll in an online IT course and continue his education remotely, bringing him a step closer to fulfilling both his and his mother’s dreams.

Our collaborative initiative with PrivatBank, “Give Light to Children,” has already aided thousands of young Ukrainians who lost their parents due to the war. We’re glad to have brought a glimmer of hope to Nikita and other orphans, supporting their growth, passions, and brighter futures.