Kateryna Pylypyshyna

“It hurts me deeply. Life turned out in such a way that I raised my children on my own, and now, because of the war, I can’t communicate with them,” says Kateryna Pylypyshyna, pouring out her soul’s pain.

The woman is 68 years old. She was born in the Sumy region and was a sickly child. Her mother struggled with caring for her, so the girl was raised by a foster family who loved and cared for her. After school, she entered a vocational school and became a train conductor. In 1978, she got married and had a son and a daughter. Her happiness was short-lived: her husband tragically passed away, and at the age of 29, Katya became a widow. She went to work at a coal mine to support and raise her two children on her own.

“When the war started, there were constant shelling and uninterrupted air raid alerts in our Novohrodivka, and with each passing day, it became more dangerous to live,” recalls Kateryna. “My children stayed in the occupied territory, and there was no help to expect. So when they offered to go to Ivano-Frankivsk region, I agreed. I’m glad I came here! The air is clean, the water is good. The staff here are polite and treat us well.”

What worries Kateryna the most is that her loved ones are far away, and she doesn’t know when she will be able to embrace them again. This pain is constantly in her heart, as it is for all mothers who are eagerly waiting to reunite with their children or grandchildren. So, in every daily prayer, the woman asks the Lord for victory for Ukraine, so that everyone can meet again in their homeland, alive and well.