"A Month to Leave: A Mother's Painful Choice in War-Torn Ukraine"

“A Month to Leave: A Mother’s Painful Choice in War-Torn Ukraine”

I met Olena through my mother. They were colleagues in Kyiv before the war. Although they lost touch over the years, I cherished the moments I spent with Olena, as we shared similar outlooks on life. Olena’s journey was fraught with challenges. At thirty-five, she gave birth to her second son, and just a year later, her beloved husband was taken by the conflict. She was left alone in a cramped two-room apartment with her two sons, struggling to make ends meet.