Orobchenko Family

Natalia (42), Sergey (45), Daughter Olena (17), and Son, Sergey (8).

Early in the morning of February 24, the family woke up to the first shelling. They hid in the cellar for two months. The lack of electricity and gas made life difficult for them. They endured by taking turns sleeping in the cellar due to lack of space. The food supplies they had preserved allowed them to prepare food and share it with their fellow villagers , as well as with the military who defended the village. Lack of access to communication and volunteers made their situation difficult, so they survived by relying on their own strength and resources. After the mortar attack, which had damaged their yard, the family learned that the Russians had approached and were two kilometers away from them. Realizing that they might not survive, they decided to leave. The children suffered a lot psychologically, and they both had a concussion from the flight. One of the children has asthma, so they immediately went to the hospital. Currently, the family lives in Pisochyn, in a sanatorium for displaced people. The daughter, Olena, dreams of becoming a teacher of the Ukrainian language and often comes to give her first lessons in Dergachy. They all hope to return to their village to rebuild their lives and home.”