Fundraiser for London four-year-old with severe disabilities displaced from Ukraine

Maria Lavruk, 46, who currently lives in Newham, arrived in London in August 2024. She said:

‘Emilia will be 4 years old in February. She was born in February 2022, just 12 hours before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began. In the early hours of the morning, the first missile struck the airport of our city. At the time, I could not believe that war had come to our home — I thought it was an accident, perhaps a gas explosion.

‘That moment marked the beginning of a very difficult journey for us. Due to her critical medical condition, Ukrainian doctors later told me they could no longer help her. With the support of volunteers from Germany, Emilia was transferred to a specialised cardiac clinic in Dortmund, where she received life-saving treatment and rehabilitation.

‘Doctors suggested that I leave Emilia in the perinatal centre and told me she would never develop and would remain in a vegetative state. I refused. I believe this child chose me, and I could not abandon her. Emilia is a little warrior — she carries within her the strength and spirit of unbreakable Ukraine.

‘I was caring for Emilia alone around the clock, and over time my mental health deteriorated significantly. I developed severe depression and began antidepressant treatment. My elder daughter Karina, 27, who lives in London, became very worried about my condition and brought us to the UK so that we could be together and have family support. She completed part of her schooling, college, and university in the UK and now works here. She provides constant emotional and practical support to both me and Emilia and is always with us.

‘Emilia sat independently for the first time at 18 months and began walking at 2.5 years old, thanks to intensive rehabilitation. She has partial loss of vision and hearing — she has glaucoma and cataracts, and her left eye has very limited vision. She has undergone around 20 eye surgeries, 13 of them in her first two years of life under general anaesthesia.

‘Emilia is entirely tube-fed. Despite all of this, she is a joyful child. She loves music, dancing, singing, educational games with me or Karina, and spending time with adults. She knows colours, animals and their sounds, fruits, vegetables, and can count to ten, even though she does not speak.

‘She loves bubble play, enjoys going to her beloved nursery, and is very attached to her therapists both in the UK and in Poland. Her favourite toys are small musical cars with lights — she has a whole collection. Before sleep, she enjoys watching slides with animals and the alphabet, and she finds comfort in gentle stroking on her head or back as she falls asleep.

‘We are raising funds to continue Emilia’s rehabilitation at the Olinek Rehabilitation Centre in Poland. Ideally, we hope to attend three courses per year, each lasting two weeks, approximately every three and a half months. We have already been there twice — the first time for three weeks, which Emilia tolerated very well.

‘The results have been meaningful: her movements improved, her walking became more stable, and she gained strength in her arms. Emilia has significant sensory challenges — previously she experienced a strong gag reflex triggered by textures, objects, paper, fabric, and even food consistency. After rehabilitation, these reactions reduced.

‘She also used to have extreme reactions to loud sounds such as sirens (police, ambulance, fire engines), blenders, or vacuum cleaners. After rehabilitation in Poland, these reactions have become much less frequent.

‘Feeding remains a major challenge, as Emilia still shows no interest in food. She does not interact with other children yet but feels calm and confident on her own and enjoys communicating with adults. Her attention and understanding have improved significantly — she now follows simple instructions, such as tidying toys or bringing objects to me.’

Each two-week rehabilitation course costs £2,600, plus £900 for accommodation and £800 for flights, with Emilia’s next session planned for March.

The family is being supported by children’s charity Tree of Hope, which helps families raise money for children and young people like Emilia for medical treatments and healthcare services not freely available to them through the NHS and social care. The charity provides fundraising guidance, campaign development, financial management, charity registration and emotional support from the Family Support team. Families like Emilia’s benefit from gift aid, corporate support while also providing donor reassurance.

To find out more about Emilia or contribute to her fund, visit https://www.treeofhope.org.uk/get-involved/childrens-campaigns/help-emilia-move-breathe-and-grow/