Today, we share the story of Sviatoslav, a 10-year-old boy supported by the Children of Heroes Foundation.
His story is not only about loss. It is about what happens after — when support, care, and human connection begin to rebuild what war tried to take away.
What war took
In the village of Levkovychi in Chernihiv region, Russian forces arrived on the very first day of the full-scale invasion. Tanks, armored vehicles, and artillery became part of daily life.
Men in the village made a choice — to protect their homes and families.
Among them was Sviatoslav’s father.
One evening, in the central square, he was killed by Russian soldiers.
The next day, Sviatoslav’s mother brought his body home by hand. They buried him in their yard. For 35 days, the family lived under occupation — without electricity, without gas, with a damaged home, and with loss that could not yet be fully understood.
Only after liberation could they give him a proper burial.
What support makes possible
Today, Sviatoslav is in school.
He dances breakdance. He moves forward.
His mother, Anna, has started writing her second book.
This is what support does.
It does not erase loss.
But it gives children the ability to continue — to grow, to learn, to dream again.
Organizations like Children of Heroes Foundation and Voices of Children Foundation make this possible every day. They provide structured, long-term care for children who have lost one or both parents — helping families navigate grief, instability, and the long path forward.
Their work exists within a broader reality: millions of Ukrainian children remain affected by war, facing displacement, trauma, and disrupted childhoods
Why this matters
Behind every number is a story like Sviatoslav’s.
Support is not abstract.
It is what allows a child to return to school.
To rediscover joy.
To believe in a future again.
Support those who protect childhood under the hardest conditions.
Stand with Children of Heroes Foundation.
Because every child deserves not just to survive — but to live.
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