Psychological assistance for children in Bucha

In 2022, little Artem’s* father volunteered to defend Ukraine. After being wounded, he spent a long time in recovery, while Artem’s mother took the child abroad in search of safety. Constant relocations, a new language environment, and stress affected the child’s development, but his mother believed that, with time, everything would settle.

However, when the father returned to the family in 2025, it became clear: the problem was serious. Artem was already 4 years and 7 months old. He did not speak, did not understand language, and did not respond to voices. His gaze was unfocused, he did not point at objects, did not play with toys, and made no attempts to connect. The family felt fear and helplessness: their child was unsocialized and unadapted.

In May 2025, the family turned to our Center.

The first meetings were not easy. Artem avoided contact; it seemed as if his world was closed off. But the joint work began to bring results. Over the course of consultations, significant changes were achieved:

• the child began to focus his gaze on his parents and objects;

• his first communicative gesture appeared — requesting toys;

• he started imitating movements;

• he made his first attempts at imitating sounds.

For the parents, this was a huge breakthrough: for the first time in a long while, they saw that their son could respond, that the path to development was possible.

This story is about the strength of a family that endured war and trauma, about small but extraordinarily valuable victories. And, of course, about the support the family found in our Center.

*Name changed for confidentiality reasons.

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