War and constant stress significantly affect the emotional well-being of children undergoing treatment.

For young patients, the daily threat adds extra burden, increases anxiety, and complicates the recovery process. That’s why psychological rehabilitation goes hand in hand with medical treatment as a crucial component.

It helps children stabilize their emotional state and gives parents the resources to remain a support for their child.

Through close collaboration between our Center for Medical, Psychological, and Social Rehabilitation for Children and the Bērnu slimnīcas fonds of the Children’s Hospital in Latvia — which has been systematically supporting Ukraine since 2022 — we have organized psychological rehabilitation programs in Latvia. During these rehabilitation camps, children stay in a safe and calm environment, interact with peers, rediscover the joys of childhood, and explore new experiences.

The program includes guided tours, city and architectural exploration, trips to the Baltic Sea, creative workshops, and activities aimed at emotional relief and recovery.

Alongside the children, psychologists and physical therapists work with them, using modern psychotherapeutic methods, including canine therapy and animal-assisted therapy.

The main goal of the program is to help children and their parents cope with the consequences of war, process traumatic experiences, and receive professional psychological support during an extremely difficult period.

Since the start of the collaboration, 12 rehabilitation camps have been held, and 254 children have already participated in psychological rehabilitation.

These are children who received treatment at Okhmatdyt for surgical and somatic conditions, as well as children with oncological diseases in remission.

A particularly warm gesture of support came in the form of drawings from children at a multidisciplinary children’s hospital in Latvia.

These drawings were given to young patients at Okhmatdyt from the chemotherapy and onco-hematology departments — brave little warriors going through challenging treatment journeys. On the back of the drawings, the children left their contacts so that, if desired, they could call, communicate, and support each other even from a distance.

Because sometimes the strongest therapy is simply knowing you are not alone.

We thank Latvia for its humanity, empathy, and support that truly makes a difference.