Some people leave. Others stay – not out of indifference to the danger, but out of love.

Inna Mishalkina is 38 years old and lives in Mykolaiv with her husband, their two sons aged 7 and 15, and her elderly mother Nadia, 68. When the war began, Inna and her husband made a quiet but profound decision: they would not leave. Her mother needed them. So did her husband's parents, Elena and Valentin, both 84 years old and unable to relocate.

The cost of that decision has been immense. Inna lost her job when the war started. On the third day of the invasion, her husband was drafted into the military – leaving Inna as the sole caregiver for five family members, while continuing to search for work that has not yet come.

Every day, she holds her family together.

With your support, Mending Roots was able to provide assistance to Inna and her family. She wanted you to know exactly where it went:

"We really appreciate your help as all the money goes to food and medicine for the parents. Thank you from the bottom of my heart."

Inna's story is one of extraordinary quiet strength – the kind that doesn't make headlines but keeps families alive, together, and dignified. Thank you for standing with her.