In the shadow of war, 12-year-old Margaryta Karpova found herself fleeing her home in Novoolenivka, eastern Ukraine. As Russian troops advanced, she donned body armor and an orange helmet, her heart heavy with the departure from her village and her father, who stood guard over their home. Last autumn, alongside her mother, Liudmyla, they embarked on a perilous journey, one of over a million civilians escaping the Donetsk region amid Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Relocation, however, offered little solace. Once they reached makeshift accommodations in western Ukraine, Margaryta began experiencing severe pain, leading to the devastating diagnosis of rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive cancer prevalent in children. Now residing in Kyiv, she fights this personal battle as the country wrestles with unending turmoil. "Life has stopped," Liudmyla states, emphasizing the singular focus on her daughter’s survival amid the backdrop of national crisis.
Despite the destructive fallout of the war — highlights include the obliteration of Ukraine's largest pediatric cancer center last July — healthcare resources in Kyiv have provided Margaryta with essential medical care. Fortunately, she has been reunited with her father, which offers a measure of emotional support during this harrowing time. Margaryta's journey illustrates the cruel duality of her existence; amidst the brutality of war, she confronts a formidable illness, a poignant testament to the challenges faced by so many in Ukraine.
Relocation, however, offered little solace. Once they reached makeshift accommodations in western Ukraine, Margaryta began experiencing severe pain, leading to the devastating diagnosis of rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive cancer prevalent in children. Now residing in Kyiv, she fights this personal battle as the country wrestles with unending turmoil. "Life has stopped," Liudmyla states, emphasizing the singular focus on her daughter’s survival amid the backdrop of national crisis.
Despite the destructive fallout of the war — highlights include the obliteration of Ukraine's largest pediatric cancer center last July — healthcare resources in Kyiv have provided Margaryta with essential medical care. Fortunately, she has been reunited with her father, which offers a measure of emotional support during this harrowing time. Margaryta's journey illustrates the cruel duality of her existence; amidst the brutality of war, she confronts a formidable illness, a poignant testament to the challenges faced by so many in Ukraine.
