Struggling for Survival: A Young Girl's Dual Battle in War-Torn Ukraine

Margaryta Karpova's journey illustrates the harrowing impact of conflict on innocent lives.

As the reality of war looms, 12-year-old Margaryta Karpova stands along the front lines of her childhood village, Novoolenivka, cloaked in a child-sized body armor and an orange helmet, absorbing the chaos surrounding her. With Russian forces barely a mile from her home, her departure becomes an emotional farewell to her father, who chose to stay behind to protect their property. Margaryta and her mother, Liudmyla Karpova, hurriedly escape to safety, joining countless other civilians who have fled the Donetsk region since the onset of the full-scale invasion in 2022.

Yet, the calm after the storm proved elusive. Upon reaching temporary shelter in western Ukraine, Margaryta's health took a devastating turn when she began to experience alarming pain. Doctors diagnosed her with rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive cancer primarily afflicting children. Now residing in Kyiv, the capital, Margaryta's struggle with cancer adds a deeply personal layer to the chaos of her homeland's war, as she battles an illness that threatens to consume her.

Her mother's voice embodies despair as she states, “As I tell everyone, life has stopped. The only thing that matters now is saving my child’s life.” Despite the destruction wrought by war, including the bombing of Kyiv's largest children's hospital and pediatric cancer center, the city provides the medical care Margaryta desperately needs. The family has been able to reunite, drawing upon each other's strength as they navigate this grim duality of survival.