By the end of May 2026, over 252-million people needed urgent humanitarian assistance and protection — up 13 million since 2025. On this World Humanitarian Day, August 19, the people of Ukraine still face critical danger and are in dire need of humanitarian assistance. It’s been over four years since Russia first invaded Ukraine, and despite the courage and unwavering resolve of its people, many have stopped believing an end to the devastation is near. Help us bring awareness to this urgent crisis by honouring some of their stories of resilience and hope made possible through our compassionate Chalice donors.
Across the world, the United Nations says women and girls face the greatest risk to protection and barriers to accessing critical and life-saving assistance and essential services. Vasylivna, from our Pochaiv site, is just one example.
Facing the Impossible
When Vasylivna suddenly collapsed, losing consciousness, her husband and son felt helpless. They immediately called for an ambulance, and she was taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors performed a CT scan of her brain. The results were alarming, and doctors quickly referred her to the larger regional hospital with a neurosurgical department.
Vasylivna underwent ventriculostomy surgery for an intracerebral hemorrhage — complex brain surgery to stop life-threatening bleeding. Her family waited nervously, praying Vasylivna would pull through. Their prayers were answered, and after spending 10 days in hospital recovering, she was discharged with medications and strict instructions for healing.
A Lifeline in the Darkest Hour
Her family was truly grateful to God, her doctors, and all the medical staff that worked so hard to save Vasylivna’s life. Through Chalice Critical Needs funds, her family could also rest easy that all her medical fees were covered, a miracle from compassionate donors.
One month later, Vasylivna was excited for her follow-up appointment, ready to get on with her life. Unfortunately, life dealt her another devastating blow when doctors discovered a brain tumour requiring another brain surgery. Once again, Vasylivna remained strong and pulled through. She underwent chemotherapy and today, she and her family are full of hope and gratefulness that during a time of such destruction throughout the country, that so many compassionate people stepped up to bring one family (and countless others) the critical humanitarian assistance they needed.
“In such difficult cases of life, where life itself is at stake, it seems like an impossible help, just by God’s miracle, a merciful helping hand is extended by kind-hearted Sponsors from faraway Canada. It simply gives big strength to live and fight on. A low bow and sincere words of gratitude from the bottom of my heart to such people,” Vasylivna says.