Liza Sychevska from Sumska Oblast is nearly ten years old. She was born with a severe condition that left her unable to hear. Still, this has never stopped her from living life to the fullest, making friends, and loving the world around her. Years ago, her parents bought her a hearing aid, but it eventually broke down. A few months ago, Liza could barely hear at all. But just when things seemed most difficult, hope arrived.
Recently, a mobile team from the Charity Foundation “Stabilization Support Services” visited her hometown of Putyvl. The Foundation’s professionals offer legal, psychological, and social support, and connect people with other projects, government services, or partner organizations to help find the solutions they need.
According to Liudmyla Vysotska, a social worker with the mobile team in Sumska Oblast, Liza’s mother, Iryna Sychevska, approached them for help. The cost of a new hearing aid was simply too high for the family, who are raising two children with hearing impairments.
“I reached out to the Public Sumy Circle NGO, and together, we found the Vash Slukh clinic,” explains Liudmyla. “When they heard about Liza, they immediately agreed to help. We arranged for Liza and her mom to meet the clinic’s staff in Kyiv. They gave Liza a hearing test and fitted her with two new, state-of-the-art hearing aids — one for each ear — and tuned them for her, all completely free of charge. We were with them every step of the way. And just like that, Liza could hear the world again.”
The girl’s mother admits she never truly believed they could receive hearing aids worth over 80,000 hryvnias for free.
“It’s just a miracle that I met your Foundation’s team,” Iryna says, full of gratitude. “I never dreamed my request would be answered so quickly. What felt like an impossible dream for us became a reality, all thanks to you, caring people who don’t look away from the problems of others.”
Today, Liza is living the active, carefree life of any other child. She loves her woodworking class at the local activities center, where she enjoys making things by hand. Every day, she and her friends also visit the center’s small, furry residents — hamsters and guinea pigs. Her mother says that caring for animals is another of her daughter’s passions. Most importantly, Liza can now clearly hear all of life’s little joys: her mother’s gentle voice, the laughter of her friends, the sounds of nature — a whole world that, just a few months ago, was silent to her.
This publication was prepared as part of the Lifesaving: Protection, Shelter, and WASH for War-Affected Regions project, implemented by the Charity Foundation “Stabilization Support Services” in partnership with Malteser International, and with the support of Aktion Deutschland Hilft.