Mykola was 48 when life suddenly lost its grip.

Not long ago, everything seemed simple and clear: his native Kherson region, work on a construction site, the house in which he lived with his mother. Marriage was a thing of the past, but there was a person nearby for whom he wanted to hold on. His life was not loud - but it was stable. And sometimes this is more important than anything.

Then the war began.

First, the disturbing news. Then, the sounds of explosions, which were getting closer and closer. For a long time, Mykola did not dare to leave. Like many, he held on to hope: “it will soon become quieter,” “just a little longer and everything will be over.” But one day, several buildings near his house were damaged. And then he realized: he could not wait any longer.

He was not only responsible for himself.

The journey to the west of the country was exhausting — not so much physically, but internally. Leaving the home where they had spent their entire lives was like tearing out a part of themselves. Together with their mother, they ended up first in Lviv, in a temporary shelter, and later in the small town of Turka.

It was quieter there. But not easier.

Without work, without a familiar circle of people, without a sense of ground under his feet, Mykola felt lost. The days blended into one, his strength disappeared. A cough appeared - at first light, then obsessive. Constant weakness, fatigue. But he did not go to the doctor.

"It will pass," he convinced himself.

It hasn't passed.

Sometimes life changes through chance encounters. For Mykola, that was the conversation with the social worker from the project “You Should Know About Tuberculosis.” She didn’t pressure, she didn’t scare — she just listened. Carefully, in a human way.

And that turned out to be enough.

For the first time in a long time, Mykola allowed himself to say out loud that he was feeling unwell. That he was tired. That he was scared. And he asked for help.

Then everything happened step by step: a doctor's consultation, examination, tests. The diagnosis came as a shock: tuberculosis.

But there was no emptiness behind him.

The doctor calmly explained: the disease is curable. The treatment is free. There is a plan, there is support, there are people around. The social worker stayed in touch, helped not to get lost in the process. My mother was nearby. There were volunteers.

Nikolai was no longer alone.

He is currently undergoing treatment. He faithfully follows the recommendations, does not miss medication. His condition is gradually stabilizing. His strength is returning. The feeling of control over his own life is returning.

And with it, hope.

This experience changed him. It made him more attentive to himself, to his health, to simple things that previously seemed mundane. He still misses home. For the Kherson region. For the life that remained there.

But now he has something else - a chance.

A chance to recover. A chance to start over. A chance to return home one day — now stronger.

The project "You Should Know About Tuberculosis" is implemented by the NGO "Social Initiatives for Occupational Health and Safety" (LHSI) with the support of the Public Health Alliance Foundation within the framework of a grant from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Only for the period from January 1 to April 30 in the Lviv region:

• 1400 people were screened for signs of tuberculosis
• 704 — medical examination
• discovered 33 TB cases

These are not just numbers. These are stories of people who were given the chance to breathe freely in time.