‘In Sumy, pharmacies and shops are sometimes closed due to shelling. Therefore, aid with hygiene products for mothers is very important’
Day after day, the Sumy region comes under Russian shelling. Although this reality has become almost routine for many locals, Tetiana Dubovyk says her greatest fear is not just for herself and her children, but whether she can save her mother in moments of danger. For five consecutive years, she has been caring for her closest relative, whom a stroke left unable to speak or move independently.
Tetiana Dubovyk is 49 years old. She is a mother of two children. The younger daughter is a schoolgirl, the older son is already independently building a life. But the grandmother needs the most care and attention now. Illness overcame the woman shortly before the Russian invasion.
“Then, despite her age, mom was still going to work. But in December of 21st, a stroke happened. Since then, caregiving responsibilities fell on me. We turned to various doctors, but no progress happened – mom cannot walk, doesn’t speak…”, Tetiana says.
“The hardest thing to realize,” she admits, “is that in case of shelling, I will not be able to quickly evacuate my closest person.”
“Once a very loud explosion sounded near the house,” Tetiana continues. “At first, I didn’t even understand what happened. I came to myself when I heard the chime of broken glass — it blew out the windows. We started to pack quickly. I was trying to help mom, and my daughter was gathering things. People were shouting for us to immediately get out, because a gas explosion could happen. And I froze at some moment and didn’t know what to do. How could I quickly carry out my mom, who is bedridden?…”
Today, a family’s greatest struggles stem not only from danger but also from daily expenses.
“Most of the money goes on medicine, utilities, and food. Hygiene products are also essential. Diapers, wet wipes — all of this is needed every day. We need so many diapers, and they are expensive. Sometimes you just stand there and think about what to buy today — food or diapers. Psychologically, it’s very hard,” Tetiana states.
Recently, the family received humanitarian aid from Rokada, provided within the LINK consortium. The package contains hygiene products for a person with limited mobility.
“When they brought us this kit, I felt a bit more at peace. I realized that now we have a supply of essentials, and at least for a while, we won’t have to choose between one necessity and another. We won’t have to stress about where to find the money for diapers, bed pads, and wipes. Here in Sumy, pharmacies and shops sometimes close because of the shelling. So this help is also very timely and much-needed in that sense,” the woman concludes.
The project is implemented by the LINK consortium (a partnership of the Angels of Salvation CF, the Coordination Humanitarian Center, and the Rokada CF) with the financial support of the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund (UHF).
