Psychological assistance for children in Bucha

In March 2022, the Pryimachenko family was hiding in the basement of their home near Bucha, holding their five-year-old twins — a girl named Marichka and a boy named Sashko, who from an early age had shown significant developmental differences, later identified as autism spectrum disorder.

When another missile exploded nearby, Marichka asked, "Mom, why does the rocket want to kill us?"
Sashko fell silent. Completely. After weeks under shelling, fear and silence became the new normal. At age three, he was already having speech difficulties, but after what he experienced — he stopped speaking altogether.

The family managed to evacuate to western Ukraine. But their hearts remained within those walls — with relatives and close friends who stayed behind under occupation. In the spring of 2024, they returned home to Bucha — now liberated, yet devastated. That autumn brought a new challenge — the father joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The mother was left alone with two children, who began to show increasing signs of post-traumatic stress: sleep disturbances, heightened anxiety, frequent crying, avoiding contact with others, sharp reactions to loud noises, and a constant sense of danger. She was terrified. Her daughter couldn’t sleep in the dark. Sashko still wasn’t speaking. And she… she spent nights on the internet, searching for answers on how to go on.

Then, a small miracle happened — they found our Family Center for Mental Well-Being.
In the spring of 2024, they came to us. Silently. The three of them. With eyes full of exhaustion and hope. The family became one of the Center’s first clients.

Sashko began working with a speech therapist, psychologist, and neuropsychologist. Marichka saw a child psychologist. And the mother — for the first time since the war began — sat in a circle of other women and said, “I don’t know how to live anymore…”

That was the first “I” on the road to healing.

She began individual therapy with a psychologist at the Center. Attended art therapy. Took part in support groups for military wives. She learned not to fear her child’s cries — and to understand Sashko’s silence. Gradually, confidence returned to her voice. Calmness to her gaze. Stability to her life.

Today, this story is one of our most meaningful victories.
Sashko speaks. He clearly expresses his needs, joyfully attends school, and loves building things and doing creative activities. Marichka no longer fears loud sounds, laughs freely, and has made friends. And their mother — she has found friendship, support, and has regained her strength.

The Center has become their home of strength — a safe space where trauma does not erase the future, but transforms into a story of recovery.

We don’t just offer help — we change lives. Lives like those of Sashko, Marichka, and their mother.

Every donation you make is more than financial support. It’s a chance for another child to speak. For another mother to breathe freely again. For another family to return to life.

Support our Family Center for Mental Well-Being. Give children a future without fear.

Names and surnames have been changed to protect privacy.