Oleksiy, a former truck driver, lost his wife last year in a shelter. By day he functions, but nights are hard.

“When it gets dark, I feel like I can’t breathe. My heart races, and I rarely sleep more than an hour.”

These are symptoms of post-traumatic stress, explains the mental health coordinator. “His body stays on alert, but the trauma shows at night.”
With MdM’s support, Oleksiy started writing short stories about his life. “If I can’t close my eyes, at least I can open my soul on paper.”

Working on the Front Line

Aerial attacks persist on Ukraine’s war fronts, with Sumy and Kharkiv facing heavy new assaults. In the past three days, attacks have intensified, causing serious casualties and damage, worsening the suffering of an already wounded population. Amid rubble, destroyed homes, and closed schools, life goes on. MdM works in these areas, offering mental health care, psychosocial support, and aid to hospitals. In Sumy, we remind people that life still matters. Even when everything falls apart, the soul deserves to be heard—to express fear, guilt, exhaustion, and sometimes hope.