and there it is — the long, stubborn shadow of an outdated soviet system that darkens these places and the mindset that sustains them. dehumanising and condemning disabled people. it's intolerable. if ukraine wants to be part of the western world, a law—abiding democracy, it can't write off children with disabilities. they're part of the picture. you can't have democracy without basic human rights for your most vulnerable citizens. teeth grinding anna's anxiety has alerted us to a system that is failing thousands of disabled people. with the right support, 0leg's world could extend beyond the end of his bed. and with a different approach, vasil�*s family wouldn't have to say goodbye. there has to be a change in mindset. institutional care has to be viewed as something that cannot exist.