The Persistence of Trauma and Terror

August 23, 2023
By: James S. Gordon, MD

Though 7-year-old Oleksandr was in Lviv, on his way with his family from intense fighting in the eastern city of Pavlograd to safety in Poland, he gave the central place in his drawing to the grave of a murdered cousin. His mother told me he is “normal” during the day, but screams in his sleep.

His 13-year-old sister, Anastasia, dreams about and draws herself leveled by a Russian bomb that destroyed the train station near her Pavlograd home. 

In the CNN clip below, after you see me work with Sofia and Angelina from Irpin, whom I’ve written about in previous blogs, you’ll have a chance to meet Oleksandr, Anastasia, and their family, and to see Anastasia’s drawing.

 

“Children’s bleak drawings show extent of trauma on Ukrainian civilians”

CNN Newsroom | May 24, 2022

Watch the video on CNN.com. (Link opens in new tab.)

Read the other entries in this series

Small Doses of Care and Hope

My third trip, longer than the first two, will take me to Odesa, as well…

Partners in Healing

Before I tell you about my third trip to Ukraine, in October 2022, I want…

A Little Girl Opens Our Eyes 

Eight-year-old Sofia, whose picture I shared with you yesterday, sits beside me in July, in…