A 14-year-old boy from a devout Jehovah’s Witness family is admitted for leukemia. His doctors recommend a blood transfusion as part of treatment, but both he and his parents refuse on religious grounds. The hospital files for legal guardianship to override the refusal.
He spends months in the ward. Nurses describe him as heartbreakingly polite — “a ghost with good manners.” He never complains, never blames. When the court finally grants the hospital authority, the transfusion arrives — but it’s too late. His organs begin shutting down.
In his final hours, he murmurs to a nurse:
“Don’t be sad. I made peace with it.”
His story still circulates in that hospital, not as a case of medical failure, but of how belief and bodily autonomy can quietly eclipse science — and how caregivers live with that silence.
In April 2023, 72-year-old Tetiana Doloza was working at a market in Ukrainsk, eastern Ukraine, when a missile strike changed her life forever. She lost her leg in the explosion. With local hospitals overwhelmed, Tetiana was evacuated by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) via a medical train to Lviv for emergency surgery.
Despite the trauma, her primary concern remained her 90-year-old mother, whom she cared for. After receiving a prosthetic limb, Tetiana began learning to walk again, driven by the determination to return to her caregiving role. Now residing in Kyiv with her family, she reflects, “Although I have only one leg, I must walk, because I have a mother living with a disability.”
Amidst the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine, a clandestine hospital operates 20 feet underground, providing critical care to soldiers wounded on the front lines. Constructed over four months, this facility is the only one of its kind in Ukraine, allowing medics to treat patients during the “golden hour” to enhance survival chances.
Staffed by a dedicated 12-person surgical team, the hospital features operating rooms, an ICU, and essential medical amenities. Doctors perform complex procedures, including amputations and open-heart surgeries, often under the threat of active shelling. Ambulances deliver patients primarily at night to avoid drone strikes, and once stabilized, they are transferred to traditional hospitals.
Dr. Hareen De Silva, a UK-based general practitioner, found himself leading a 15-person medical team in Gaza during intense conflict. Tasked with trauma stabilization and medical evacuations, he navigated dwindling resources, constant danger, and the complexities of coordinating care in a war zone.
Utilizing his GP skills, Dr. De Silva managed medication inventories, trained local healthcare staff, and made critical decisions under pressure. Reflecting on his experience, he emphasized the importance of communication and adaptability in such high-risk environments.