I am disabled since childhood and I also had a birth injury. I live alone with an elderly mother. Our only raltives - mother’s sister and her family - don’t help us in any way. I have never seen my father.

I am getting disability pension and my mother is getting a retirement pension. This is barely enough for the simplest food. Once a year I get support from social protection services - a few thousands of hryvnias.

Last year, my mother had a stroke. I was crying for days on end since we didn’t have any money for the medications. The factory where my mother worked for her whole life and from which she retired 12 years ago, did not help us. I begged for help from the ten local deputies - one female deputy gave us two thousand hryvnias. I was able to pay for the medication and my mother got better.

Sometimes we go for a walk with my mother. We walk only near the house since when I go further away I get panic attacks. Now it’s worse because of the missiles hitting the area. Our town is near the southern frontline.

Some time ago, I worked as a cashier in a store near the house. Now I cannot because of the state of my health. When I went to work I got a terrible allergy - my skin started to crack, I had two drink over 10 litres of water during my shift and my kidneys began to fail. I had to leave my job eventually. Now I make toys and sell them over the Internet for 550 hryvnias. If someone wanted to buy them from me, I’d be incredibly grateful. We also need bed linen and towels as well as some money for food and medications.

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