Ukraine Diary
The Ballet Studio
A respite for the children of war
Editor’s Note: In February, Working Nurse launched The Zhytomyr Hospital Challenge to purchase medical equipment for a hospital in Ukraine. This fundraising campaign was a huge success. In June, Olena Svetlov and I traveled to Ukraine to complete our mission.
I share excerpts from my journal in this Ukraine Diary online series.
Does a ballet studio fall within the scope of this project? Initially, our mission was to raise money for medical equipment for Zhytomyr Hospital. When we exceeded our fundraising goal — thank you, donors! — we decided we would use the remaining funds to perform charitable works within the community.
We wanted to help in whatever small ways we could to heal some of the damage caused by the war with Russia.
Olena heard about a local ballet school in need of repair. We met with the studio owner, a dynamo with red lipstick and spiky blonde hair and the posture of a dancer, which she is. We walked up seven floors to a sweltering room where children were stretching on the hardwood floor, preparing to start their lessons.
We learned that when the war started in February 2022, the ballet students had voluntarily donated their mats to local soldiers heading to the frontlines.
These children endure the constant stress of air raid sirens and live with the trauma of having witnessed destruction and even death. If attending ballet classes brings them joy, even for just an hour at a time, we decided that our support would be worthwhile.
We funded the studio repairs, installed an AC/heating unit, and purchased new mats and ballet shoes. In gratitude, the young dancers performed a delightful recital in our honor, followed by a ceremony with the mayor and a local TV reporter who had been invited to participate in the event.
It was incredibly rewarding seeing firsthand the happiness our support could bring, especially for children.
Other Ukraine Diary entries:
Visiting Zhytomyr Hospital
Planes, Trains, and Eight Stuffed Suitcases
Resistance at the Kyiv Museum of History
Air Sirens and Bomb Shelters
First Aid Kits for Police Officers
Bucha
Animal Rescue
The story from the Feb. 21 issue that launched The Zhytomyr Hospital Challenge.
