Fatima Nikolaenko, Mykhailo Kozachenko and their 4 children (Milana, Natalia, Ilona, Petro). Bakhmut, Donetsk region
Fatima was born and lived in the city of Bakhmut, and her husband, originally from the city of Vovchansk, Kharkiv region, moved to Bakhmut many years ago in search of work, where he got married.
They lived a full life, her husband worked in a berry nursery, bought a house, arranged their land and newly renovated house well, where children were born one after another. Everything was good and harmonious.
But hard years began, like for many Ukrainians: a pandemic, war.
The oldest child was about to start first grade, but the school was closed.
Then a full-scale invasion… The family was expecting their fifth child, and the wife was in the last months of pregnancy.
One day, while taking care of family business, the woman heard a powerful explosion nearby that destroyed 13 houses. All that was left was a crater: it was a missile.
Two weeks later, the woman had a routine checkup in the hospital, and after an ultrasound, the family was told that after such a severe stress, the fetus had frozen, they had to perform surgery and take the baby out to bury it.
The family began to look for a place where they could operate on Fatima. By that time, many doctors had already left, and those who remained were hesitant to perform such a complex operation.
On March 25, after arriving in Kramatorsk, the family managed to find a clinic and a surgeon who would save them and do it for free. The way home from the hospital was no less difficult, as few people wanted to risk their lives and travel by car.
Fatima and Mykhailo eventually found a driver, got to their home and buried their unborn child.
At that time, people around them said it would be very hot, and the situation was getting worse.
Living in fear with small children in damp and cold basements is not an option.
The family gathered their clothes and documents and left for Dnipro, where they were sheltered by believers in the church. Over time, caring people found free housing for the family in Krasnohrad, Kharkiv region. They paid only for electricity, food and clothes were provided for the first time.
Due to the lack of jobs and opportunities to resume a full life, the family packed up and went to Lviv after living there for a while.
Now the Russian military is living in their house and all the remaining neighbors were forcibly taken to Russia.
The family has temporarily settled in our shelter and is looking for housing, work and the opportunity to continue their lives.