Two childhoods. One chance

Varvara and Melania Matushevich are twin sisters who were born on December 17, 2019. Both girls have been diagnosed with childhood autism. They are being raised by their mother alone, who cares for two children with disabilities on her own. The family are internally displaced persons from the city of Hola Prystan in the Kherson region.

Before the full-scale war began, the girls' development was within the normal range. However, the occupation of the city, constant explosions, severe stress, vibrations in the house, and a lack of electricity and food had a devastating effect on the children's condition.

"From the first days of the war, my daughters lived in constant fear. This stress left a terrible mark on their health," says their mother.

After leaving the occupied territory, where the family had been for almost 10 months, the girls underwent comprehensive medical examinations. It was then that the diagnosis was made.

"To understand what was happening with the children, we had to undergo expensive examinations – MRIs and numerous tests. All of this was paid for with credit funds, which have not yet been repaid," says their mother.

Today, Varvara and Melania are six years old. They do not speak, understand spoken language only at a basic level, and require constant care, treatment, and regular rehabilitation.

"I am very afraid of losing time when I can still help my daughters. Rehabilitation is their chance," says the woman.

The family is currently living in rented accommodation in the town of Gostomel with their grandmother, who has cancer and has suffered a stroke. All the care for the family and children rests entirely on the mother's shoulders.

The support of benefactors is not just an opportunity for the girls to undergo rehabilitation, it is an opportunity to give Varvara and Melania a chance for development, adaptation, and a better future, despite all the trials they have had to endure at such an early age.