Katya was on the way to hospital for an urgent operation for her 17-year-old daughter Alinka, who has bone cancer, when Russia invaded Ukraine.
Their doctor at Kyiv's National Cancer Institute called them and advised them to turn around and go home for their own safety. It soon dawned on the family that the only option was to continue Alinka's treatment abroad.
"We decided (this) without hesitation, because this is not only a war with our occupiers, but also a war for the life of our child," said Katya, who did not give her surname.