It’s a cold autumn day. 10-year-old Sofiya* sits on an outdoor bench in a rehabilitation centre in western Ukraine. She is in her second round of physical rehabilitation aimed at restoring, improving and stabilising the functional capabilities of her legs, which were severely injured in a rocket attack of her hometown.

Sofiya has a dream: “I want to run,” she says quietly, but confidently, adding: “Again!”

Childhood, stopped

In early 2023, a year since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Sofiya’s hometown in eastern Ukraine was viciously attacked with rocket fire. A nearby high-rise collapsed throwing rubble over Sofiya’s home. At least one child died and many more were trapped and injured.

Sofiya was one of them.

Rescuers found Sofiya in critical condition. She was crushed under a concrete slab causing severe blood loss. Both her legs were so badly injured that rescuers couldn’t lift her up.

Sofiya spent five months in the hospital, completely immobile and lacking the will to survive.

Sparks of hope

“She lay in the hospital telling me: ‘mum, I don’t want to live’.”

In the rehabilitation centre, Sofiya is with her mum.

“When Sofiya got injured, my heart broke in million pieces,” her mum says.

“But I knew I had to stay strong to give all my strength to my little girl. She lay in the hospital telling me: ‘mum, I don’t want to live’.”

Sofiya’s mum abruptly stops speaking. Her eyes fill with tears, her throat chokes. She looks away, holding back her tears.

“That was my catastrophe,” her mum continues after a while.

“I saved my sadness for my lonely moments. When Sofiya was awake, I focused on giving her all my strength to lift her up mentally and physically. I knew she needed all my strength to regain hers, so she could begin to get up, start walking and become healthy again.”

In late spring 2023, with financial help from SOS Children’s Villages, Sofiya came to the rehabilitation centre for the first time – in a wheelchair. Over the course of this first treatment, Sofiya started using a walker and then, slowly, began walking with crutches.

Now, mid-way through the second treatment, Sofiya can walk while only occasionally leaning on her mum.

She has a severe limp that slows her movements, but her eyes are sparkling with joy only children have.

Not giving up

“Fifty-fifty…” the 10-year-old gives a cunning grin, wrinkling her nose, when asked if she likes school. “I’m not really a big fan of school.”

Sofiya is in the fifth grade of primary school, which she attends online. Her schooling, along with her childhood, has been severely interrupted by the war.

She goes on to explain that she didn’t really like the first four grades of school. She started schooling with physical attendance but had to switch to online because of the pandemic and then the war.

“There are some good things about school,” Sofiya says while nodding her head recounting what she likes.

“I like drawing and painting. I like to draw people. Faces are a bit problematic for me but luckily, I’m quite persistent, so I keep drawing faces, and I know I’ll get it right eventually.”

Back to her real self

“I also like to play games on the mobile phone with my school friends. That counts as school, right?” Sofiya asks laughing.

The mobile phone, along with a laptop to help with her online schooling, and some seasonal clothing were all provided by SOS Children’s Villages.

Now in the fifth grade, her classes are different and harder because she has new subjects and a different teacher for each subject.

Mum smiles through a sigh. “I let her play because that’s the only time she gets to spend with her school friends that can count as socialising.

“When she was laying in the hospital with her legs all in screws and rods, Sofiya hadn’t seen or been in contact with her friends for five months.”

Mum tears up again, then continues: “It took time to lift her spirits up, but now she’s back to her real self. Sofiya is quite an independent student, and I help her only when I notice she is struggling.

“I see that she mostly needs help with English and mathematics. To be honest, I’d be happier if English and mathematics were her biggest problems right now.”

Sofiya will run again!

“Oh, I forgot,” Sofiya jumps back in the conversation.

“I also like to draw cats and dogs, especially dogs. And I want to have a dog too. A Jack Russel Terrier.

“My dog will be faithful and useful and brave.

“Mum says I can have a dog like that when I finish therapy and I’m healthy enough to walk the dog. I know Jack Russel Terriers are very energetic. You can’t walk such a dog, you need to run it,” Sofiya laughs and adds: “And I want to run… again.”

Mum says Sofiya is a pure-hearted girl who will surely have success in life.

“Businesswoman, I will be a successful businesswoman, mum!” Sofiya says proudly.

“I know I need to study well, but I also need to learn other things. Like how to play Uno,” Sofiya winks.

The giggles of the little girl make her mum smile. “After everything Sofiya has been through, after everything our family has been through, I don’t have much strength left in me.

“I tell my girl that now she has to fight for herself and be strong for her future. I know she’ll do it. Sofiya will run again.”

*Names have been changed to protect the privacy of the family.