Hi! I`m Sashko from Chernihiv. I`m 13. In March my mom and I attempted to flee our hometown that was constantly bombed. We joined an evacuation column. I was carrying our cat Murchyk in my arms, I couldn't leave him behind. Suddenly the enemy started firing at us. We were thrown away from each other but despite the pain of her wounds, my mom Tetyana crawled to me. I received several heavy injuries — the shards pierced my whole body. In the last moments of my life, the closest person in my life was right beside me...

Since I was little my mom wanted me to have everything. I had extra lessons with tutors and took dancing and Karate classes. I was curious about dinosaurs – I learned everything about them. I loved building Legos. I could spend 8 hours assembling an aircraft carrier in one sitting. When I grew older I took interest in robot building, photography, and crypto trading, I tried making my own NFT tokens and wanted to start a YouTube channel for English-speaking audiences. At the start of 2022, I even registered a profile there and uploaded a couple of videos. 

I was a good student, especially in Math and English. Hardworking, friendly, honest, and polite — that`s how my teachers described me. At home, I helped my mom with everything because she`s just so delicate. I wanted to surprise her — made dinners and treated her to homemade rolls. At 13 I had already grown taller than my mom. I used to hug her and tell her that she became so small.

In the summer when we went to the countryside mom and I woke up very early to go for a run, then we swam in the river and ran back home — on average 10 km. I liked riding a penny board and a bike. When I was little my Grandpa used to put me on his lap behind the wheel of his car. My legs were too short to reach the pedals but I was already a driver. 

Mom finds it very hard to go on without me. Sometimes when she comes home after work she stops at the entrance realizing that no one is waiting for her inside and starts crying. I would like to wipe off her tears but I cannot. The enemy separated us forever.