Antonina and her daughter Varvara pictured in the park near Drama Theatre in Mariupol before the escalation of the war | © A.Telytsia / HI 2024
“Before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, life was peaceful in Mariupol. I was a teacher, and my husband and I had a comfortable life with our two daughters. But everything changed in February 2022 when Russian troops crossed the border.
My daughter Varvara, just seven at the time, has a congenital heart condition that requires ongoing care. As the war escalated, we faced freezing temperatures, food shortages, and constant shelling. Supplies ran out, and Varvara developed a terrible cough. I was lucky because I had a box of antibiotics at home and I treated her myself. I don’t know what would have happened to her without it – maybe pneumonia. It was so stressful to know your sick child needs urgent medical care but there is nowhere to buy medicine and the hospitals would not be able to do anything.
I tried to always stay busy, I couldn’t cry. I’m not much of a fighter in normal life, but I understood that I had to do everything possible to survive. The children didn’t cry or panic either, I think they were very tense and I tried not to frighten them.
When our building was hit and Varvara's health worsened, we had no choice but to flee.The roads out were packed with people and it took us 11 hours to drive the 12 miles to the next settlement. It was so cold and crowded – there were six of us, two cats and a dog – and we were low on petrol, so it was very difficult. I was relieved to leave Mariupol because I was desperate to get help for Varvara, but sad to lose everything we had and for those we left behind.
Now safely displaced to Kyiv, Antonina has decided to work to protect people with disabilities in the event of conflict as HI's Senior Inclusion Technical Officer.
“Varvara has had her heart operation and is registered as a child with disability, her condition will always be with her. There is still a lot of stigma against disabilities in Ukraine, but understanding is improving with the war. Because of my experience, I wanted to help others. I found myself without medication for my daughter, under the bombing of my city...i want to prevent this from happening to others.
I love my work because it allows me to help those in situations like ours—people who need medical care and to be seen. The war has overwhelmed Ukraine’s health services, leaving many without the critical care they urgently need.
We are on the frontlines, delivering life-saving assistance to displaced families, people with disabilities, and those struggling to access the care they deserve.
Nowadays, even in Kyiv, there are regular attacks and air raid sirens, but we try to live, not just for us, but for our children.”
