Natalia (name changed) is a psychologist by profession. She has years of successful practice, recommendations, and grateful clients. The woman admits that even her experience cannot cover all the pain and despair she felt when she had to pack her things, leave her native Kyiv and go abroad with her minor daughter.

At the beginning of the war, they stayed in western Ukraine for some time. But the cost of renting a house there soon became unaffordable, so Natalia began to think about other options. “We stayed at the border with Poland for more than a day. We were told that this was not long – before that, people stayed there for three days.” After crossing, she and her daughter stayed with a friend in Krakow. The shelter was safe, but the woman did not want to become a burden, so she began to look at options for moving on. She chose Israel. “My classmates live there, but I wasn’t ready to tell them that I needed ART. So, while I was still in Poland, I was looking for ways to get registered there. I came across your service on the Internet and wrote to the contacts provided. And within a few hours, I received information from the manager about my request.” When Natalia moved to Israel, she called HelpNow’s partner organization, which helped her get registered and continue taking her medication without interruption. 

“Here, the attitude toward HIV-positive people is calm, I would even say emphatically equal. No unnecessary questions, everything is private and with a smile from the staff. There were no obstacles to receiving therapy. This helps a lot, especially against the background of a bunch of other concomitant problems. I am sincerely grateful for your help and ready to participate in the lives of Ukrainian refugees. Take care and good luck with your work!”