Kyiv holds memorial service for victims of Russian attack on children’s hospital

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A memorial service for the victims of a Russian missile attack on a children’s hospital took place in Kiev on Monday.

As part of the memorial service, a chamber orchestra played in the ruins of the building in Kyiv on Friday.

At the time of the attack, which killed at least 44 people, Ukraine’s largest medical facility for children was caring for 627 patients.

In addition, dozens of children were injured and were already suffering from life-threatening illnesses.

Oksana Halak only learned about her two-year-old son Dmytro’s diagnosis of acute lymphocytic leukemia at the beginning of June. She immediately decided to have him treated in Okhmatdyt, “because it is one of the best hospitals in Europe.”

She and Dmytro were at the hospital for treatment when sirens sounded all over town. They couldn’t run to the shelter because the little boy was hooked up to an IV.

“It is extremely important not to interrupt these infusions,” Halak said.

After the first explosions, nurses helped move her to another room without windows that was safer.

Shortly afterwards, they were evacuated to the National Cancer Institute and now Dmytro is one of 31 patients who have to adapt to a new hospital as they continue their difficult battle with cancer.

“The destroyed Ochmatdyt is the pain of the entire nation,” said the general director of the National Cancer Institute, Olena Yefimenko.