Oleh is only nine, yet his eyes have seen things no adult should have to know. Occupation, the whistle of shells, a dangerous evacuation under fire, and long months separated from his father, who is defending Ukraine on the front line. When war breaks into childhood, it leaves behind not only ruins in the streets, but also invisible scars on the soul.
For Oleh, these scars turned into “monsters.” He developed a panic fear of the dark and became extremely sensitive to any shift in adults’ emotional states. Even an ordinary shout or a raised voice would cause him to freeze — his nervous system, exhausted by trauma, perceived any loud sound as the beginning of new danger. The slightest remark or a setback at school would trigger such intense anxiety that Oleh began to harm himself (auto-aggression). It was an unbearable inner drive to be perfect and “invisible” in a world that had become too unpredictable.
Oleh’s recovery became possible thanks to the specialists of the “Your Support” Family Center for Mental Wellbeing in Vorzel, which became a safe space for him. Using art therapy and play-based methods — the language children understand best — the team helped him release his fears. Together with a psychologist, Oleh created “Shchaslyvko,” an imaginary character embodying his inner strength and support. During therapy sessions, they also drew “fear comics,” where the monsters on paper became small and no longer frightening. This marked the child’s first major victory — transforming terror into a sense of control.
A course of 10 intensive therapy sessions, made possible through charitable support, delivered significant results: Oleh overcame his fear of the dark and can now fall asleep peacefully in his own room. With the help of specialists, he became more emotionally resilient and stopped reacting painfully to raised voices or loud conversations, learning to distinguish everyday emotions from real threats. Another key achievement was overcoming his fear of making mistakes at school and the complete cessation of self-harm episodes. Now, instead of self-punishment, Oleh uses the self-regulation techniques he has learned and turns to his inner resource — “Shchaslyvko.” At the same time, the center’s specialists worked with his mother, which helped strengthen family relationships and made the entire family system more resilient while his father remains at the front.
Oleh’s story is one of thousands of similar stories of children whose childhoods have been put on pause. Professional psychological support cannot erase what has been experienced, but it gives children the tools to endure and rediscover the joy of life. Donations from supporters enable the specialists of the “Your Support” Family Center to restore children’s confidence and peaceful sleep. Thank you for helping transform the “monsters of war” into symbols of children’s strength.
