Vlada, an 11-year-old Ukrainian refugee living in Rotterdam, is battling PTSD stemming from a traumatic incident in a shelter after fleeing the war in Ukraine. The incident, which her mother, Olena Kotenko, prefers not to detail at this time, has left Vlada feeling unsafe and triggered by unlocked doors or being alone.

Olena, 44, a photographer and baker from the Kyiv region, brought Vlada and her family to the Netherlands in August 2023 seeking safety. However, the shelter incident shattered their sense of security, and Vlada is now undergoing therapy to cope with the trauma.

Despite the challenges, Vlada exhibits moments of normalcy. She enjoys ice cream, climbs and jumps, and attends school where she learns about Anne Frank and keeps a diary. She speaks Dutch and mixes it with Ukrainian, and dreams of working in a cat cafe.

Before the war, Vlada was an energetic and active child, constantly skipping, climbing, and jumping. Olena recalls a photo of her daughter balancing between swings, remarking that she rarely sees that Vlada anymore. The war and subsequent trauma have visibly impacted Vlada’s spirit.

The family had initially sought refuge in their cellar during the bombings outside Kyiv. Faced with freezing temperatures and uncertainty, they fled, leaving behind their home and a life they knew. Vlada remembers the fear of a military plane flying toward them, unsure of its allegiance.

Olena makes an effort to create normalcy for Vlada, such as treating her to ice cream. She also encourages Vlada’s interest in photography, planning trips to print more photos for her album, but the closer they get to the clinic, the more withdrawn Vlada becomes. Despite the lasting impacts of trauma, glimpses of Vlada’s former self occasionally surface, like when she jumps and slides on curbs, hinting at the resilience within her.