My name is Yulia, and I would like to share the story of my daughter, Sofiia.

She started training at a professional ballet school when she was just six years old, and those were the happiest days of her childhood. Every morning she ran to her classes with shining eyes, and I knew that ballet wasn’t just an activity for her — it was her dream, her passion, her future.

But then our life changed suddenly and dramatically.

In a matter of days, everything familiar and stable was gone. We had to leave our home, our routines, and the life we had built — taking only two suitcases — and move to Italy simply to keep our family safe.

And yet a small miracle happened. Thanks to kind and compassionate people, Sofiia was able to train in an Italian ballet studio for an entire year. She did not speak Italian at all, but dance became her language. She stayed quiet — but she kept dancing. And every day she would whisper: “Mama, I still want to study ballet professionally…”

But life forced us to move again — this time to Canada.

Our first year here was extremely difficult. I am a single mother with two children, and I faced all the challenges that immigrants know too well: finding work, finding housing, building a new life from scratch. I simply couldn’t afford ballet lessons for Sofiia. She worried deeply that she would never again be able to do what she loved most.

Still, she never stopped dreaming.

And after a one-year break, after moving across three countries, after loneliness and stress — Sofiia passed the auditions and was accepted into the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School in the Professional Division. She is now in her second year of training.

Her first year was incredibly hard: the language barrier, no friends, total isolation in a new world. For such an artistic and active girl, it was a painful challenge. But she didn’t give up. She kept fighting for her dream.

Today, Sofiia is fully adapted, speaks English confidently, and continues to grow, work hard, and shine. I see her becoming stronger every day, and I know that everything we went through was not in vain.

But now we are facing a new difficulty.

Tuition for international students at RWB is extremely expensive.

As an international student, Sofiia is not eligible for scholarships, grants, or government support.

I am doing everything I can, but as a single mother, I cannot manage the cost of her professional ballet education alone.

And so I am asking for help.

Not for myself — but for a girl who has crossed three countries, learned two new languages, overcome so many challenges, and never abandoned her dream to become a ballerina.

All funds raised will go directly toward Sofiia’s tuition at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School.

Every contribution — even the smallest one — is a step toward her future.

A chance for her to keep dancing.

A belief in a child who continues to reach for her dream, no matter what the world puts in her way.

Thank you to everyone who finds it in their heart to help.

Thank you for giving hope where it is so deeply needed.