This past weekend, Russia launched multiple missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities, killing at least three innocent children. Russia has stolen a future from these innocent children who had their whole life ahead of them. Throughout this brutal war, we repeatedly see how Russia targets Ukrainian children, either through abduction or by conducting missile attacks on infrastructure that provides lifesaving support to children taking their first steps towards their future.
Two-year-old Viktoriia took her first steps not at home into her mother’s arms, but in the oncology ward of Ohmatdyt Children’s Hospital in Kyiv, Ukraine. She has cancer. For eight months, this tiny warrior has called the Ohmatdyt home, enduring nine rounds of chemotherapy and 28 days of radiation. Six more months of treatment lie ahead.
In those sterile halls where children shouldn’t have to learn to walk, Viktoriia also spoke her first words, made her first friends, and took those precious first steps. Last year, Russian bombs deliberately targeted Ohmatdyt, the very place where children like Victoriia fight for their lives. They attacked hope itself. Yet Ohmatdyt rebuilt. The doctors returned. And the children continue their battles.
Thanks to your support, the Canada-Ukraine Foundation, through the CUF-UCC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal and with the help of Tabletochki Foundation, provided essential medical supplies for 155 children at Ohmatdyt, including Viktoriia. Your generosity helped keep their treatments going. Every IV line, every medication, every piece of equipment funded by donors like you becomes a lifeline for children who should be playing in parks, not fighting for survival in hospital wards.
Ukrainian children face battles on many fronts —some rescued from captivity, others fighting cancer. Every one of them deserves a chance.
Viktoriia’s tiny steps represent the courage of all Ukrainian children refusing to give up. When you give to this campaign, you don’t just fund rescue operations—you help ensure hospitals like Ohmatdyt can continue saving lives. You help children like Viktoriia focus on walking forward, instead of worrying if help will come. Every child deserves to take their first steps in safety. Every child deserves a future filled with hope instead of fear.
Our Every Child Deserves a Future campaign runs until June 23rd. Will you help support essential lifesaving programs for children like Viktoriia—and thousands of other Ukrainian children?
We’re moving!
As of May 30, our new address will be:
Canada-Ukraine Foundation
30 Powerhouse St., Suite 101
Toronto, Ontario M6H 0C6
Background
Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF) – founded in 1995, CUF has a strong track record of providing humanitarian assistance to Ukraine in the areas of healthcare, education and civil society. CUF collaborates with aid providers in Ukraine, Canada, and beyond to maximize impact and cost-effectiveness of your support.