“Mom, I Love You!”: The Story of a Family Who Found Strength in Love and Psychological Support
In just a week, Mariika will turn seven years old. Her parents and brothers will surprise her with balloons and a delicious cake, and she will surely make a wish before blowing out the candles. For the family, it will be a true celebration—because, due to the war, household struggles, and everyday worries, such moments together are rare.
Mariika is a child born of the heart (through adoption), as is her nine-year-old brother Ivan. He was the first child Svitlana and Oleksandr took into their care in 2017, after years of unsuccessful attempts to have a baby of their own. Ivan finally received what he had been missing since birth in his new family—love and care. A year and a half later, the couple learned that Ivan’s biological mother had given birth to a girl.
The family lives in their own house in Mykolaiv—a former summer cottage that they converted into a permanent home. Svitlana shares that the house feels like a dream come true. She enjoys working in the garden—a kind of therapy that helps her distract from heavy thoughts, including those about constant financial strain, lack of time and energy, and anxiety, both from the air-raid alarms and within herself.
In this very house, in the basement, the family spent the first ten days of Russia’s full-scale invasion—with four-month-old Dmytryk, six-year-old Ivan, and five-year-old Mariika, all together with their parents. When the shelling grew too loud and tanks began driving down the streets, they fled to Chernivtsi. It was there that they first learned about the Voices of Children Foundation.
Svitlana herself was the one who reached out for help—she wanted to cope with her own childhood traumas and learn not to repeat any mistakes in raising her children. She completed ten free individual psychological sessions.
For Mariika, psychologists recommended group work right away. She loves being around others and needs to learn how to interact better with other children. The specialists at Voices of Children prepared her for school. This year, she is starting first grade.
Svitlana dreams that her children will grow up happy and pursue what they truly love. The family has a very special tradition—every day, they say to each other, “I love you.” In Svitlana’s own family, those words were rarely spoken. For her, this is another little dream come true.
Svitlana and Oleksandr’s family, like hundreds of others, received psychological care at the Mykolaiv center thanks to the support of ERIKS Development Partner.
At our regional centers, children can receive psychological support, take part in creative activities and games. If needed, anyone can also reach our free psychological support helpline for children and parents: 0 800 210 106.
This material was produced with the support of ERIKS Development Partner. The views and interpretations expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of ERIKS. Responsibility for the content rests solely with the authors.
