Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Mariia, a resident of California, and her husband supported Ukrainians on the border with Romania. They went there in turn. 

"Part of my company operates in Ukraine. On February 24, 2022, a colleague wrote: "We are being bombed!". It was a shock. We watched the news. We didn't know what to do. I wrote several posts. I thought it was a mistake. That’s impossible. Many colleagues lived where they actively bombed. Mariupol, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Sumy, Hostomel. I started raising money to help them move.

Two weeks later, I flew to Romania. To the border. Worked as volunteer. We met people. We gave them money. Reassured and hugged. I lived at the border for ten days. Then my husband flew.

People told their stories. Personal and scary. Sometimes, I see them in my dreams. The Diary of Kateryna Savenko became a trigger that threw me back in March 2022. I wanted my friends to read it. So, I translated it into English. I need it," Mariia said.