13-Year-Old Bohdan Wanders Shelters for the Injured After Losing His Father to Cancer
Amid the wreckage of the recently recaptured Ukrainian town of Izium, one building stands as a silent testament to the ravages of war, housing those nearing the end of their lives. The stench of unwashed sheets and unbathed skin lingers in the air as the elderly and infirm huddle in rooms filled with despair, their weeping echoing through the cold halls.
Among them, a 13-year-old orphan, Bohdan, roams, his eyes glued to the phone in his hand. Until just days ago, Bohdan had a father. But now, he is alone. His father, Mykola Svyryd, spent his final weeks in a corridor room of a shelter for the injured and homeless. After enduring the ravages of stomach cancer, Mykola passed away on October 3, his last thoughts consumed with worry for his son’s future.
As winter approaches, the shelter, much like the rest of the town, is in desperate need of heat and resources to survive the harsh conditions ahead.
