Danyl Pryschchepa

In March 2022, fleeing Russian bombing, 10-year-old Danyl Pryschchepa’s family car hit an anti-tank landmine, instantly killing his mother and leaving his father with one eye and severe burns. Danyl, miraculously spared any physical injury, suffered severe psychological trauma.

Two years later, with the help of non-profit Children of Heroes, BSHU brought Danyl to the UK for a month of summer education programmes. On the other side of his time abroad, Danyl’s newfound determination to finish his education in the UK represented a moving full-circle moment for his family: Danyl’s first visit to the UK was on his parents’ London honeymoon, when he was still in utero.

When the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, 10-year-old Danyl Pryschchepa’s family knew they had to leave Kyiv right away. Together, Danyl, his father Serhii, and his mother Tetyana packed up and fled to a small holiday home in the village of Rozvazhiv, on the city’s outskirts.

Unfortunately, the conflict followed them. Unbeknownst to Danyl’s parents, the Russians had already begun to occupy the country from the north, close to the Belarusian border; the family arrived to the not-so-distant sounds of falling rockets and bomb alarms.

On 14 March 2022, when cluster bombs began to hit the village, killing several of their friends, Danyl’s family fled again, this time towards western Ukraine.

Tragedy strikes

Just hours into their journey west, the Pryschchepas’ car struck an anti-tank landmine. Danyl’s mother, whose side of the car hit the mine, was killed instantly. His father, whose body caught fire in the explosion, suffered painful burns, lost one of his eyes, and suffered further injury to his jaw and hands.

The whole family was struck unconscious, rescued only because a car with more family members was following behind them. Danyl’s aunt and uncle pulled them to safety.

Danyl was miraculously spared any physical injury, but he suffered severe psychological trauma. While Serhii was in the hospital being treated for his wounds, Danyl spoke to a psychologist. For added companionship, the family got a cat. But even setting aside the personal tragedy of losing Tetyana, their day-to-day life was emotionally and logistically difficult; Danyl could only study online because of the bomb attacks and the constant alarms.

After losing his mother, Serhii says he noticed a difference in Danyl’s demeanour. “He grew up. He started taking more responsibility and making more decisions on his own. Danyl does all his homework himself, without anyone reminding him. He’s very mature. He will go to the supermarket and do the shopping himself, wash his clothes himself.”

A unique opportunity

In March 2023, a year after their tragedy, Danyl’s family joined Children of Heroes, a grassroots non-profit in Ukraine helping children who have lost one or both parents in the war. This year, BHSU teamed up with Children of Heroes to offer eight children a reprieve from the distress of wartime to study at educational summer programmes here in the UK.

Danyl spent a month at Etherton Education’s Wellington School, immersed in the English language as he took lessons in maths, biology, history, drama, art and more. Danyl’s self-determination meant he was excited to go to school, to visit Great Britain and be abroad on his own.

Once he arrived, he thrived. Danyl’s group leader noted his intelligence and his “positive, active and easy-going” demeanour. He excelled at his lessons, where he found that he already knew some of the content. Whenever possible, he turned his attention to helping other students.

Since the explosion, Serhii has noticed that Danyl finds great joy in helping others: his father, his cousins, and now his classmates in the UK, too. “Whenever he can help, he does.”

The impact of a month abroad

Danyl’s month at Etherton had a tremendous effect on him. Back at home, Serhii could feel an increased sense of confidence in his son, especially when it came to Danyl’s English language skills, which will help forge international connections and open doors for his education and career.

With evident pride, Serhii recounts a moment from a recent trip Danyl took with his grandparents to the seaside, in which the impact of his lessons became evident.

“Because the south of Ukraine is occupied, they had to go through customs control on the border of Moldova. His grandparents don’t speak a word of English, and the customs officer asked them, ‘Is there anyone here who speaks English?’ Danyl said ‘Yes, I do!’ His grandparents were laughing; their 11-year-old grandchild served as the official translator between them and the customs officers.”

A global perspective

More striking, though, is Danyl’s newfound global perspective. He was always a clever, ambitious student, but now, after an emotional rest and a month full of learning “without bomb alarms and sirens”, his dreams are bigger.

At school, Serhii says, Danyl “made a video [of the student accommodations] and there was one room being renovated. He told me that he would like to move there next year.” Once home, he was “proudly showing off his British visa. Danyl got really interested in exploring the world. He has started thinking, ‘Okay, where do I get more visas?’”

Danyl’s success in the UK represents something of a full-circle moment for the family, too. Serhii and his wife Tetyana, both lovers of travel, spent their honeymoon in the UK, with Danyl in utero.

The future

Of course, returning home to Ukraine wasn’t easy for Danyl. During his month abroad, taking an emotional reprieve from wartime, Serhii says his son “forgot” the reality that he had temporarily left behind. “When he came back and there were sirens starting again and again, it was a big change.”

Yet, Danyl remains determined. His dream is to become an IT expert, which Serhii thinks is within reach. “He’s very good with tech. He’s talking about IT more consciously after the program in England.”

There is still healing to do, and Danyl and his father are moving forward together. Serhii is incredibly proud of his son, and holds great hope about Danyl’s future.

“He knows his father is with him. Life goes on.”