When the war began, I arrived in the United States with my small child in my arms. I had no plan for what would happen next. No understanding of how life would work in a completely new country. And my husband stayed behind in Ukraine to fight in the war.

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At first, I tried to stay strong.

I searched for housing, completed endless paperwork, learned how to navigate everyday life here, and tried to create some sense of safety for my child while constantly worrying about my husband and family back home.

But little by little, everything inside me started falling apart.

I was exhausted all the time.
I felt lonely.
I lived in constant stress and anxiety.
It felt like I was surviving, not living.

Eventually, the war, the distance, and everything we went through destroyed our marriage.
We divorced.

There were moments when I honestly did not know how to keep going emotionally. I felt completely alone with everything I was carrying inside.

During one of the most difficult periods of my life, I reached out to UA House and joined the PHI Mental Health Support Program.

That is when I met Julia Myzga, a Mental Health Support Peer Counselor.

For the first time in a long time, I felt like someone was truly listening to me without judgment, without pressure, and without expecting me to always be “strong.”

Julia helped me not only emotionally, but also with adaptation, support, guidance, and simply being there during moments when I felt overwhelmed.

We did not solve everything overnight. But step by step, conversation by conversation, I slowly started feeling human again.

Through UA House, I began attending women’s wellness groups, community events, women’s retreats, and support gatherings.
And honestly, those moments changed something inside me.

I slowly remembered what support feels like.
What trust feels like.
What it feels like to laugh again, to talk openly, to feel understood, and to realize that other women were carrying similar pain too.

Over time, I started rebuilding my life.

I found new friendships.
I regained confidence in myself.
I started believing that the future could still hold something good for me and my child.

Today, when I look back, I realize that the most important thing was not only receiving help.

It was finally understanding that I was no longer alone.

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