As the sound of heavy shelling echoed in the distance, 12-year-old Margaryta Karpova stood silently, donned in child-sized body armor and an orange helmet. Russians troops were closing in on Novoolenivka, her village in eastern Ukraine. The heartbreaking farewell to her father felt like the end of an era, as she and her mother, Liudmyla, hurried to an armored vehicle, joining the ranks of over a million civilians evacuated from the besieged Donetsk region since the beginning of the invasion in 2022.
However, the respite offered by relocation was short-lived. Upon reaching temporary housing in western Ukraine, Margaryta began to experience debilitating pain. Medical examinations confirmed the grim news—she was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive cancer predominantly affecting children. As fierce battles continued to ravage her homeland, she now faced a more personal battle for her life in the capital, Kyiv.
“My life has stopped,” remarked her mother, reflecting on their ordeal. “The only thing that matters now is saving my child’s life.” Fortunately, they managed to reunite with Margaryta's father in Kyiv, which, despite having suffered significant destruction—including the bombing of the country's largest children’s hospital—still provides essential medical care for cancer patients.
Margaryta's journey encapsulates the resilience and fortitude of children in conflict zones, where their struggles for survival are not just against the backdrop of war, but also against the devastating reality of life-threatening illnesses.
