ENDING THE UKRAINIAN ORPHAN CRISIS

Using art to build a future for children in need.

For years, I’ve known that my work as an artist is about more than just creating. 

 

It’s about shaping lives, making space for beauty, and turning that beauty into something tangible that blesses others.

 

Orphan care in Ukraine has been close to my heart for as long as I can remember.

 

My own mother was adopted as a child, and growing up, our family often talked about adoption as a real possibility. 

 

Though it never happened in our home, it shaped my perspective—creating room in my heart for the children who need love the most.

Today, Ukraine has the highest number of orphans in Europe. The war has only made the crisis worse, pushing vulnerable children further into the shadows of an already broken system. These children, especially those with special needs, are often left without proper care, overlooked, and forgotten. 

 

I have seen it firsthand. For over a decade, I’ve visited orphanages, sat with the children, and witnessed both their needs and their resilience. And I know that change is possible.

 

This is why, starting now, 10% of all website purchases & commissions will go toward ending the orphan crisis in Ukraine.

A New Model of Care: Blossom Cottage

The first project we are supporting is Blossom Cottage, a home being built by the nonprofit Shade for Children in my hometown, Uzhhorod. 

 

Located in Transcarpathia in the very west of Ukraine and spared of direct effects of the war, our region has served as a shelter and refuge for many people and orphans within the last years. 

 

I’ve personally known the founders for over 10 years and have seen their dedication to transforming orphan care in Ukraine.

Blossom Cottage is not just another orphanage—it’s something entirely new.

 

Instead of placing children in large, overcrowded institutions, this project will create a family-style home with specialized medical and psychological care, capable of even housing children with special needs.

 

It is an approach that hasn’t existed in Ukraine before, and it has the potential to change everything.

This initiative aligns with Ukraine’s plans to gradually dismantle the Soviet-era orphanage system, replacing them with smaller scale homes and eventually family-based care, including plans to close most of the existing 740+ orphanages.

Current Challenges & The Solution

However, the reality remains that thousands of children still reside in large institutions without the necessary care, and immediate solutions are needed.

 

Ukraine simply isn’t ready to move to 100% family-based care for its enormous amounts of orphans. Also, international adoption has been paused since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022. There needs to be a stepping stone: Small Group Homes that serve as that step from large institutions to a family. Blossom Cottage’s primary goal is family reunification or adoption. 

 

Through proper healthcare and rehabilitation as well as intentional advocacy, every child under their care will be much more likely placed in a loving home sooner. While residing in Blossom Cottage, each child will receive the love and support they deserve, offering them a more “normal” childhood.

 

This home is a stepping stone toward a larger vision: making adoption more accessible, advocating for children who are often forgotten, and ultimately transforming the system itself.
 

Why This Matters To Me

This mission is deeply personal. Adoption has been on my heart for years, and my husband and I are already looking into beginning the process for our own family. After experiencing pregnancy and carrying a child, my desire to open our home to a child in need has only grown stronger.

 

At the same time, I know that adoption alone isn’t enough. The system itself must change. These children deserve more than just survival—they deserve real care, real homes, and a real chance at life.

How You Can Be a Part of This

Every piece of art on my website that finds a new home, will help build a future for these children. 10% of all website purchases & commissions will go directly to projects like Blossom Cottage, ensuring that this vision doesn’t stay a dream—it becomes reality.

 

This is only the beginning. As my business grows, so will the impact. More homes, more solutions, more lives changed. And I would love for you to be part of that journey.

 

If you want to learn more about Blossom Cottage and follow the progress of this project, you can find the project here: https://www.shadeforchildren.org/deets.

 

Let’s create something that lasts—not just on canvas, but in the lives of the children who need it most.