Over twenty years ago I became a sponsor for a little girl in Ukraine named Olga. She was living in an orphanage in Borzna, in the Chernihiv region, and I felt compelled to help her however I could. Over the years, our bond grew beyond sponsorship – Olga became family to me. I visited her in Ukraine in 2003, and she spent two summers here with me. I watched her grow into a compassionate and resilient woman, despite so many obstacles in her path.

Today, Olga is 29 years old, a mother of two, and living in Kyiv with her children, ages 7 and 2. But her life, already filled with unimaginable challenges, has become nearly unrecognizable. She gave birth to her youngest child amid the sounds of daily bombings, and their family home in Borzna was severely damaged. Without stable access to water, electricity, or food, and with her husband and brothers fighting on the frontlines, Olga made the heart-wrenching decision to move her children to Kyiv in search of safety. It was a difficult journey, but her daughter could finally attend school again, and Olga was beginning to rebuild her life despite the daily threats of war.

Recently, Olga was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer, soft tissue sarcoma, which has already spread to her arm, hand, and lungs. She’s undergone surgery to remove some of the tumors on her arm and hand, but this is just the beginning of her battle. Her treatment plan includes multiple infusions, rounds of chemotherapy, and, later, another surgery to address the tumors in her lungs. The medical costs are staggering, and without insurance, it’s more than she or her family can handle alone.

Olga’s strength has been a source of inspiration to me for so many years. Now, as she faces both war and cancer, I’m reaching out to ask for your help. Every donation, no matter how small, will help give her a fighting chance – to continue being the mother, wife, and sister her family so desperately needs. Please join me in supporting Olga’s battle for survival. Thank you for standing with us in her time of need.