The dream of little Maria. 2

Her story is not about a miracle that happens in an instant. It is a journey in which every day is like a small feat, and every success is like a real victory.

Mariyka was born too early. Her mother was fighting for her life after a stroke, and the little girl was fighting for her first breath. She weighed 1,380 grams when she was put on a ventilator. For two and a half months, the machine breathed for her. Looking at the medical reports, the doctors did not believe in miracles: cerebral palsy, heart defect, multiple developmental defects, brain damage, problems with her legs, eyes... But her parents believed. They loved her. And they continue to fight alongside their daughter.

Instead of noisy playgrounds and fun walks, her childhood was spent among white cold walls, under the light of operating room lamps and in the silence of rehabilitation rooms. Her first toys were machines and bandages, and her first fairy tales were the words of doctors and the whispers of her parents, who prayed for a miracle.

Despite all the diagnoses, Mariyka managed to achieve what seemed impossible. She learned to sit, crawl, and talk. She learned to hold a spoon and write, despite severe spasticity. She finished 5th grade without a single grade below “8”! Her notebooks are a separate source of pride: her fingers are becoming more obedient, and her words are becoming more confident.

Last year, Mariyka achieved another important victory – she learned to move around the house on her own with her mother's support. This is a real breakthrough. Now they can go down from the third floor for a walk together – slowly, carefully, but independently. For their family, this is more than just steps. It is a feeling of life.

But Mariyka dreams of another step – a special and long-awaited one: to stand on her own two feet, without outside help. She has a chance. She needs regular treatment, which her family can no longer afford on their own. There is a war in the country, only her father works, and her mother has devoted herself entirely to caring for her daughter.

Today, Mariyka needs support. Her journey is long, but each of us can become part of this great story of faith, struggle, and love.

Every hryvnia of aid is not just a donation. It is another step towards independence. It is her dream – childish, bright, so simple and yet so priceless: to walk!