Surviving a Missile Attack: A Mother’s Harrowing Tale in Ukraine

Surviving a Missile Attack in Ukraine

Daryna Vertetska found herself in a harrowing situation when she was at Ukraine’s largest children’s hospital with her 8-year-old daughter, Kira, on a Monday morning. The tranquility of their moment shattered as Russian missiles pierced the sky above Kyiv, where they were. Despite the chaos unfolding around them, Kira, who was undergoing cancer treatment, bravely continued with her therapy.

However, the tranquility was short-lived as a missile struck the Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital, causing a deafening explosion that was beyond words, according to Ms. Vertetska. In the aftermath, fragments of glass left Kira with cuts on her delicate skin. The terrified mother, aged 33, managed to guide her bloodied daughter through the smoke and debris to safety.

Now, the hospital that had been a sanctuary for Kira during her five-month battle against cancer is no more, another casualty of Russia’s relentless assault on Ukraine. With the rescue efforts completed, medical staff are now focused on relocating the numerous critically ill children who require urgent care, including those, like Kira, who were in the midst of intensive cancer treatments.