Spanish solidarity network helps Ukrainian refugees, including a teen cancer patient
A Spanish charitable network has rescued and treated Ukrainian refugees, exemplified by 15-year-old Mychajlo Hryschenko, who received cancer care after fleeing war-torn Sumy.
The full-scale Russian attack on Ukraine that started on 24 February 2022 triggered a massive exodus, and Spain has taken in over 256,000 Ukrainian refugees under temporary protection, supported by a dense network of NGOs and volunteer groups. One poignant case is that of 15-year-old Mychajlo Hryschenko, who was undergoing chemotherapy in Sumy when air-raid sirens forced patients into basements; his parents fled through a humanitarian corridor, endured artillery fire on the way to a train, and he lost consciousness during the journey.
In Madrid, the Aladina Foundation placed him in a state clinic and funded costly proton therapy and subsequent rehab at a private center. Coordinators like Halyna Bardina-Kuts assist families with essentials, housing searches and translation, while local citizens donate goods to refugee hotels. Beyond immediate aid, Ukrainians in Spain run cultural festivals, benefit concerts and sports programs such as "Sports Unite Us" to raise awareness of the war and foster integration. Initiatives in Catalonia, including a holiday camp for 255 children of soldiers and a convoy of rescue vehicles to Ukraine, illustrate the breadth of Spanish-Ukrainian solidarity.
Why it matters
It shows how coordinated civil-society support can save lives and aid integration of war-displaced families.
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