Svitlana, 44, was sheltering in a building in Mariupol with 12 other civilians when a russian air bomb almost leveled the site. Six people died, including Svitlana’s partner. “I found myself lying on the ground outside. My neighbors took me to the hospital… My fingers and hip were broken, there was a (laceration) on my foot.” Svitlana spent nine days in the hospital; in the last two of them, her city was occupied by russian troops. Soon after, Svitlana was airlifted to a hospital in Donetsk where conditions were abysmal, and then placed in a local refugee camp. Svitlana managed to escape the humiliating process of filtration by coming to an arrangement with a local who, despite the risk, took her across the border. It took two challenging days to reach Vilnius, Lithuania, where HTL volunteers helped the woman who was left completely alone. Svitlana’s son studied in Kharkiv before February 2022 and later moved to Poltava. Wartime restrictions prevent him from leaving the country and reuniting with his mother. Svitlana stayed with a friend for a month, made some progress in physical therapy, and is now able to walk without a cane. In Mariupol, Svitlana left her car and a brand-new apartment. “I lived in that flat for just three months – it was a dream of mine I managed to finally attain,” said Svitlana. However, the likelihood of returning is still low since Mariupol has not yet been liberated.