A Safe New Beginning — Our 100th Match
Svetlana and her 9-year-old son Dmytryk endured blackouts, air raid sirens, and the constant fear of war. In May, they finally made the brave decision to leave Ukraine.
Thanks to our team — and the kindness of hosts Katherine and Martin in Birmingham — Dmytryk now plays football in the park instead of sheltering in basements.
In Svitlana’s own words:
At the beginning of the war, none of us thought it would last this long. Like many other Ukrainians, we decided to stay in Ukraine — always keeping our suitcases packed and ready, in case the danger grew too great and we had to leave our home.
During these three and a half years of this cruel war, my son Dmytryk started school and has now finished three grades. But this is not the kind of childhood or school years I had wished for him, as every mother would: doing homework during blackouts by flashlight, interrupting lessons to run to shelters during air raids, sitting in cold and damp basements instead of classrooms, children talking only about the war… even playing outside, when at nine years old they ask: “Will the military take us to war too when we grow up?”
The beginning of 2025 was especially difficult for me emotionally. For three months, almost every two weeks, I received heartbreaking news of the deaths of people I knew well — former colleagues, neighbors, friends. It was very hard to say the last goodbye, and for many others their fate is still unknown.
After three and a half years of war, the emotional weight became unbearable. After much hesitation, weighing all the “pros” and “cons,” I finally found the strength to make the very difficult decision to leave my home and go to a safe country. A place where my son could live a happy childhood without fear, where he could study at a desk in a classroom instead of in a shelter. But the decision was far from easy, as my elderly parents had to stay behind in Ukraine.
In May 2025, I began my journey with USPUK and met a wonderful consultant, Nadiya, who explained everything clearly: where to start and what to expect. Some time after filling out the application, Nadiya shared the good news that a host family had been found for us: Katherine and Martin, together with their two children, Caitlin and Tyler. From our very first video call, we understood this was a kind family. Since the start of the war, they had already hosted several Ukrainian families, and we even discovered many shared interests. For my son Dmytryk, their son Tyler quickly became a very good friend. Even while we were still in Ukraine, they kept in touch, checking on us after major attacks, helping us search for a school for Dmytryk, and asking what support we needed.
Finally, the long-awaited day arrived — our journey to the UK and meeting our new host family in Birmingham. They welcomed us with such warmth, kindness, and sincerity. We are truly happy that they became our host family! From the very first day, Tyler introduced Dmytryk to his friends, who also welcomed him warmly. Now my son has many new friends to play football with, ride bikes, play games, and walk in the park. It has been only one week since we arrived, and not once has Dmytryk mentioned the war. It is such a joy to see the happiness on his face.
Even after our arrival, the support from USPUK and Nadiya continued — from the first consultation, to finding a host family, helping with the visa (in fact, only five days after submitting the visa application in Kyiv, we already received a positive decision from the UK by email), and offering advice and reassurance after we arrived. They even checked in to make sure everything was going well with our new family and living conditions.
We are very grateful to USPUK for this vital work, for supporting people in such difficult times, and for having such professional, caring, and compassionate staff!
If you'd like to help more families like this one, please consider supporting us at uspuk.org/donate
You can make a difference
At USPUK, we support not only Ukrainian families on their journey to the UK but also the generous hosts who open their homes to them. From the moment they register on our website throughout their hosting experience, we are here to help.
If you’d like to help someone on their journey to a new beginning, consider becoming a host today. Visit our Become a Host page to learn more.