Stories of Families with Chronically Ill Pediatric Patients during the War in Ukraine

Abstract

 Healthcare Under Fire: Stories from Healthcare Workers During Armed Conflict 33 Adhering to professional and moral ethos during armed conflicts like the one in Ukraine can be challenging and demands a significant reorientation of personal and professional identity. The responsibility to provide each of their clients with as much support and emotional resources, without the ability for a referral or a treatment plan, is very difficult for those whose professional identity is about helping others, non-abandonment, restoration of mental health, and support their clients through the most challenging times of their lives. Furthermore, there is still much prejudice toward psychotherapy; many Ukrainian people worry about being stigmatized or called “crazy” if they see a psychotherapist. This attitude towards mental health changes, but the process is slow. Day in and day out, Ukrainian mental health clinicians witness the trauma of war, hear the stories filled with grief and desperation, and see the emotional aftermath and devastation the war has on people of all ages. The mental health clinicians work in environments that are not typical for therapy sessions; in hallways, in cramped offices with other therapists separated only by a thin fabric curtain to give some appearance of privacy. Despite all that, they continue to create space for hope and a future for those who felt they lost both. The Ukrainian mental health clinicians are soldiers fighting one of the most critical battles of our times, and they will win. B Stories of Families with Chronically Ill Pediatric Patients during the War in Ukraine Vita Voloshchuk F ebruary 24th was a day that has left a mark in the memory and on the lives of every Ukrainian person. My husband and I work together in a hospital. He had gone into work early to conduct a kidney transplant that had been scheduled for that day. Suddenly, whilst on my way to work that morning, I heard a strange sound—it was an air-raid siren. Before that, I had never heard such a sound. I went through all the possible options of what it could be. Of course, watching the morning news had never been a habit either. The next thing that astonished me was that the taxi I had ordered was taking an unnaturally long time to turn up. When I got into the taxi, I noticed that the taxi driver was really upset and silent for half of the journey. He then said, “A war has begun . . .” “War? So? The war has been going on since 2014.” “You don’t understand,” he said. “Russia is launching missile attacks all over the territory of Ukraine; Russian troops are coming from the east and north of Ukraine. They want to capture the capital of Ukraine.” (Kyiv). Arriving at the hospital, I saw confused faces everywhere. The morning meeting began with a discussion of how we were to act in any possible situation that may occur. We were to discharge patients from the hospital, as many as possible. The arrangement of a bomb shelter began (although I didn’t even think that such a thing existed in our hospital), along with the strengthening of the hospital ’s windows, and the increase of supplies such as medicine and food. Of course, the boy who expected a kidney transplant did not receive it because no one knew what to expect at any second or where a hostile Russian missile might hit, as Russian missiles hit not only military objects but residential buildings, hospitals, and memorials as well. Children who had to continue therapy remained in the hospital. As soon as we heard the sound of an air-raid siren, we had to go down into the bomb shelter. This happened 5-10 times per day. Families with palliative and chronically ill children began to call and ask for advice on how to proceed in such a situation. As many children were on artificial respiration devices, others needed oxygen therapy, and sputum of mucus from the upper respiratory tract. All this required uninterrupted power supplies and appropriate equipment. Later that day, a doctor from Poland called me and asked if our pediatric patients needed help, saying it would be better if they were moved...