She remembers the feeling of home.
Not the orphanage.
Not the institutions she would later move through.

But a small window of time, three years, when she had a mother, a father, and a family.

“I remember it very brightly,” Yana said. “We were together.”

And then… she wasn’t.

Born with cerebral palsy after complications at birth, Yana’s parents eventually made a decision that would shape the rest of her life. At just three years old, she was placed into the orphanage system.

Her childhood became a series of transitions, moving from one institution to another, without the steady presence of family.

Until one day, at age eleven, a letter arrived.
It was from her father.
He was in prison, but he had found her.

Through letters, month after month, year after year, they built a relationship made entirely of words. Hope written on paper. Connection without presence.

“I knew we would meet one day,” she said.

And they did.

At sixteen, Yana finally met her father in person. For a brief time, just weeks, they shared life together.

Meals. Walks. Conversations.
Moments she would carry forever.

That same year, he died.
“It was very hard,” she said quietly. “But I keep the good memories.”

At sixteen, Yana also stepped into another reality, life after the orphanage.
Freedom… but also uncertainty.

She was determined to build something with her life. She studied to become a seamstress. She pushed forward. But the world did not always welcome her.

“Not everyone wanted to accept me.

I had to prove that I am the same as everyone else.”

Her journey became even more difficult when a broken leg led to multiple surgeries, years of medical procedures to help her walk.

And this is where everything could have stopped.

Without family, without resources, and without understanding how to navigate complex systems, many young people leaving orphanages, now known as Care Leavers, are left to face these moments alone.

But Yana wasn’t.

Through Orphan Outreach and its Care Leavers Program, she received the surgeries and medical care that helped her walk, care that would have been impossible for her to access on her own.

Her story with the ministry began years earlier, when staff members like Virginia and Andre were visiting special needs orphanages, building relationships with children who were so often overlooked. They invited them into something different, not just to hear about faith, but to learn life skills, independence, and what it means to belong.

Yana was one of those children.

And that relationship didn’t end when she left the orphanage.

They helped her navigate the overwhelming legal process after her father’s death, fighting for her inheritance rights in a system that often leaves orphaned young adults without a voice. They provided practical support, helped improve her living conditions when her housing situation was unstable, and walked with her through seasons where she had nowhere to turn.

More than that—they stayed.

To this day, Virginia continues to speak with Yana every week, offering encouragement, guidance, and steady support. Even from another country, that relationship remains a constant in her life.

“When you leave the orphanage, you are alone,” Yana said. “And when you are alone, everything is harder.”

Through consistent presence, mentorship, and faith-filled support, Yana experienced something many never do, someone who doesn’t leave.

And slowly, her life began to take shape.

Years later, she reconnected with someone from her childhood, another orphanage student.

“I always felt he was my person,” she said.

That boy became her husband.

Together, they built a life in Kyiv.

A home.
A marriage.
A future.

They also have continued support through a faithful sponsor, whose generosity helps provide weekly childcare, giving Yana the ability to care for her son while also having moments to rest, recover, and simply breathe. It is a quiet but powerful expression of what ongoing support can look like.

And then… war came.

When the invasion began, Yana was five months pregnant.

Sirens. Explosions. Fear.

They didn’t leave.

Instead, they stayed, hiding in their apartment behind two walls, the safest place they could find when the alarms sounded.

And in the middle of it all, Yana prayed.

“I prayed that the day my baby was born would be quiet and peaceful.”

On that day… it was.

No bombs.
No sirens.
Just silence.
 
A quiet day.

“That meant everything to me,” she said.

Today, Yana wakes up with a different kind of awareness.

“When I wake up and there is no bombing,” she said, “I am grateful.”

Grateful for her husband.
Grateful for her child.
Grateful for the people who stayed.
Grateful for a life she was never expected to have.

And above all—

Grateful to God.

About Orphan Outreach

Stories like Yana’s are not accidents.

They are the result of people who choose to step in early, to build relationships, and to stay long after a child leaves the orphanage system.

Through Orphan Outreach and its Care Leavers Program, young people like Yana receive far more than temporary help. They receive life-changing medical care, guidance through overwhelming systems, consistent mentorship, and the kind of relationships that provide stability, dignity, and hope over time.

What began as a visit to an orphanage became a lifelong connection.

And today, Yana’s life tells a different story, one of healing, family, and faith.

A story that continues to unfold.

To learn more about the ministry and be a part of this amazing work that is changing lives in Ukraine, visit orphanoutreach.org.

About Capturing Grace
Discover the story behind Capturing Grace and how my daughter’s legacy continues to inspire my journey: capturinggrace.org/about-us.