Olena Fomenko is a 38-year-old single mother living in Kyiv, Ukraine, raising her 11-year-old daughter, Milana.

On May 28, 2025, a Shahed drone struck their residential building. The explosion shattered most window and caused severe damage to the upper floors. Since that day, their living conditions have deteriorated significantly, leaving the family vulnerable and struggling to restore even basic stability.

Olena lives with her retired parents. Her mother suffers from serious chronic health conditions. She has already undergone knee replacement surgery on one leg and urgently requires surgery on the other. However, due to the ongoing war, unstable security conditions, and hazardous circumstances, the procedure has been postponed indefinitely. She also lives with heart disease and depends on continuous medication. Her limited mobility prevents her from working. Olena’s father is also retired and relies solely on a modest pension.

Their combined pensions are not enough to cover basic living expenses. The family is struggling to afford medication, food, utilities, and essential needs.

Olena herself is currently unemployed. The library where she worked was forced to close, and finding new employment during wartime has proven extremely difficult. She has lived with asthma since childhood, and constant stress, cold temperatures, damp conditions, and repeated stays in shelters have significantly worsened her condition. She also suffers from advanced osteoarthritis in her right knee, causing chronic pain and limiting her physical ability to work.

Ongoing missile and drone attacks frequently force the family into damp basement shelters. Extended power outages leave them without electricity, heating, and sometimes running water. These harsh conditions have taken a toll on Milana’s health. She has begun falling ill more often and, following the drone strike, now struggles with severe anxiety and constant emotional stress.

This family is facing profound financial, medical, and psychological hardship.

Your support can help provide essential relief - covering medical expenses, basic living needs, and urgent assistance to help stabilize their daily life. Even a modest contribution can bring meaningful relief to a mother striving to protect her child and care for her aging parents in the midst of war.

Together, we can stand with Olena and her family during this difficult time.