Trusting God in the Face of Cancer and Conflict

Shelling interrupted her solitude.

Olena*, 74, was alone in her apartment in south-eastern Ukraine when racket erupted nearby. As explosions started echoing through her neighbourhood, she sat on her sofa, opened her Bible, and began to pray.

“I asked God to give me the strength to get through that day,” she said, remembering February 2025 vividly.

Moments after that prayer on the sofa, a projectile struck the entrance of her apartment building. Several floors suffered severe damage, and the blast wave tore through her home. Windows and doors blew out, and the balcony collapsed on top of her, right where she sat on the couch.

Ragged, shattered glass and shrapnel dug into Olena’s ageing body, causing unspeakable pain.

“When everything became quiet, I realised I was still alive,” she said. “To me, that felt like a miracle.”

Into Recovery Comes Aid

Emergency responders whisked Olena to a nearby hospital to treat her wounds. As she fought to recover from the deep cuts, she also developed pneumonia, which required a month of treatment to stabilise her lungs.

During this trial, Samaritan’s Purse began delivering groceries to her, which helped relieve the significant burden of daily living expenses and mounting medical bills. Bags of food delivered in Jesus’ Name let her know that, though her pension ran thin and no family was nearby to help support her, God was still watching out for her.

Later, doctors diagnosed Olena with a severe concussion, limiting her ability to hear and communicate without difficulty.

“Sometimes people speak to me, and I simply cannot understand what they are saying,” Olena said. “It can feel very isolating.”

Trial of Preceding Disease

All of these crises came upon her just a few years after doctors rocked Olena’s sturdy life of resilience with news of Stage 4 cancer. Multiple tumours throughout her body had already metastasised in her lungs.

While war consumed the national news, her daily life was now also defined by treatments, medical appointments, and the constant struggle to maintain her health.

“I lived from one medical appointment to the next, from one prescription to another,” Olena said. “When you receive a diagnosis like that, you begin to appreciate every single day.”

When fighting intensified in her hometown, many of her neighbours fled, but that was not an option for Olena.

“I simply had nowhere to go, and I did not have the strength to start over somewhere else,” she said.

Comfort and Hope in Faith

Still suffering with cancer in south-eastern Ukraine, Olena continues to find comfort and hope in her faith. Prayer has become her source of strength, even as her nation’s situation brings new uncertainty and fear.

She considers the help she receives from Samaritan’s Purse and our church partners as a great answer to prayer. She can see God is with her.

“This support means far more than food,” Olena said. “It reminds me that I have not been forgotten. It shows me that there are people who truly care. I am deeply grateful to everyone who supports people in need. Thank you for your kindness, compassion, and generosity. May God bless everyone who reaches out to help those who are suffering.”

*Name changed for security

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