The head of the department.
Smiles as.
She recounts how.
Decades later.
35-year-old men.
knock on.
The department’s door.
Saying: “I was.”
“Born prematurely.
In 1990.
You saved my life.
And I’ve come to say thank you.”
– it was the black kitten’s
fault entirely.
– it was the black kitten’s
fault entirely.
For the white kitten
had been having its face
washed by the old cat
for the last quarter of an hour
“The ward is almost.
“The ward is almost.
Overflowing with.
Seriously ill children.”
“We have never seen.
“We have never seen.
“Such severe complications.
In premature babies.”
Says the head of.
The post-intensive care and nursing ward.
For premature babies.
At the Okhmatdyt Hospital.
She is convinced that.
This is linked to.
The stress and.
Emotional strain.
That women are experiencing.
During the war.
That women are experiencing.
During the war.
For the white kitten
had been having its face
washed by the old cat
for the last quarter of an hour
(and bearing it pretty well, considering);
so you see that
it couldn’t have had
any hand in the mischief.
“There has been an increase.
In the number of.
Children with.
Intrauterine growth restriction.”
“Women often have.
Very difficult pregnancies.
And so, children born.”
And so, children born.”
“From such pregnancies.
Simply cannot be healthy.
From the outset.”
Adds the doctor.
Premature babies suffer.
From feeding difficulties.
As well as metabolic, infectious.
And endocrine disorders.
The way Dinah washed
her children’s faces was this:
first she held the poor thing
down by its ear with one paw,
and then with the other paw
she rubbed its face all over,
the wrong way,
beginning at the nose:
The head has been.
Caring for newborns.
For 40 years.
For 40 years.
Until 2007.
Soviet standards were.
Still in force.
In Ukraine.
Under which a child.
Born before 28 weeks.
And weighing less than.
1 kilogramme was.
Considered a foetus.
Rather than a live-born child.
Such a child would not be.
Registered as a live birth.
At the Civil Registry Office.
Unless they had survived.
Unless they had survived.
For 168 hours.
and then with the other paw
she rubbed its face all over,
the wrong way,
beginning at the nose:
and just now,
as I said,
she was hard at work
on the white kitten,
In 2007.
Ukraine passed a law.
On the mandatory registration.
And rescue of babies.
And rescue of babies.
From 22 weeks’ gestation.
And weighing.
500 grams or more.
This significantly.
Changed the approach.
To caring for.
Premature babies.
and just now,
as I said,
she was hard at work
on the white kitten,
which was lying quite still
and trying to purr
– no doubt feeling that
it was all meant for its good.
The full-scale invasion.
Has presented doctors.
With new challenges.
With new challenges.
Today, the head is.
Looking after.
Looking after.
52 staff members.
Dozens of babies and.
Their distraught parents.
Dozens of babies and.
Their distraught parents.
which was lying quite still
and trying to purr
– no doubt feeling that
it was all meant for its good.
But the black kitten had been
finished with earlier in the afternoon,
But the black kitten had been
finished with earlier in the afternoon,
“There’s war at home.
And war at work.
It’s become a way of life.”
It’s become a way of life.”
“That’s why.
I don’t just work here.
– I live here.”
– I live here.”
“It’s very unhealthy.
And takes its toll.
On your health.”
On your health.”
“But as a manager.
I have no choice.”
“But as a manager.
I have no choice.”
“But to do this.
Because I’m responsible.
For my staff 24/7.”
Admits the head.
But the black kitten had been
finished with earlier in the afternoon,
But the black kitten had been
finished with earlier in the afternoon,
and so, while
Alice was sitting
curled up in a corner
of the great armchair,
She recalls the morning.
Of 24 February.
2022, when.
To the sound of explosions.
She was driving.
To work through.
An empty Kyiv.
An empty Kyiv.
At 110 kilometres per hour.
Barely holding back.
Her fear as rockets.
Whistled overhead.
and so, while
Alice was sitting
curled up in a corner
of the great armchair,
half talking to herself
and half asleep,
the kitten had been having
a grand game of romps
At that time.
There were 16 children.
With serious medical conditions.
In the ward.
Six required urgent.
Neurosurgical operations.
– they were successfully.
Evacuated abroad.
half talking to herself
and half asleep,
the kitten had been having
a grand game of romps
with the ball of worsted
Alice had been trying
to wind up,
to wind up,
The others, along with.
Their parents and medical staff.
Found themselves.
In the basement.
The doctors, children.
And their parents lived.
And worked there continuously.
For two and a half months.
with the ball of worsted
Alice had been trying
to wind up,
to wind up,
and had been rolling it
up and down
till it had all
come undone again;
Delivering a baby weighing.
Around one kilogram.
Is a minute-by-minute.
Highly precise task.
A significant part.
Of this responsibility.
Falls on the nurses.
Falls on the nurses.
and there it was,
spread over the hearth-rug,
all knots and tangles,
all knots and tangles,
with the kitten
running after
its own tail
in the middle.
She has worked.
In the ward.
For over 20 years.
For over 20 years.
– it is the only place.
– it is the only place.
She has worked.
Since leaving college.
She recognises every sound.
The equipment makes.
And can detect.
The slightest change.
In the condition.
Of a baby.
Who cannot say.
Where it hurts.
with the kitten
running after
its own tail
in the middle.
“Oh, you wicked wicked
little thing!” cried Alice,
catching up the kitten,
and giving it a little kiss
“Our patients cannot complain.
Crying is their first reaction.
And we must find.
The cause immediately.”
“Nurses move between.
The wards non-stop.
We teach mums.
Not to be afraid.”
“Of medical devices.
To change nappies.
And to feed.
Via a feeding tube.”
“Over time.
The mum becomes.
Our extra eyes and hands.”
Says the nurse.
“Oh, you wicked wicked
little thing!” cried Alice,
catching up the kitten,
and giving it a little kiss
to make it understand
that it was in disgrace.
“Really, Dinah ought to
have taught you better manners!
In February 2022.
Whilst fighting was raging.
Around Kyiv and.
Her husband was insisting.
That she and their daughter.
Be evacuated.
She decided.
To stay in hospital.
You ought, Dinah,
you know you ought!”
she added, looking
reproachfully at the old cat,
and speaking in
and speaking in
as cross a voice
as she could manage
“I couldn’t leave.
I said: ‘There are.
Colleagues here.
Just like me.’”
“Some have two children.
Others have no husbands.
And it was such.
A difficult moment.”
“I didn’t go;
Thanks to my mother-in-law.
– she supported me and.
They left for Transcarpathia.”
“My child stayed.
With her grandmother.
For a couple of months.
And we carried on working here.”
and speaking in
and speaking in
as cross a voice
as she could manage
– and then she scrambled back
into the arm-chair,
taking the kitten and
the worsted with her,
Back then, those who.
Managed to reach Okhmatdyt.
In the early days.
Worked shifts.
For 3–4 days on end.
Because colleagues from.
The suburbs simply couldn’t.
Get to work.
Since 2022.
Okhmatdyt has been shaken.
Repeatedly by ‘orcs’ attacks.
On the capital.
– and then she scrambled back
into the arm-chair,
taking the kitten and
the worsted with her,
and began winding up
the ball again.
But she didn’t get on
very fast,
On 8 July.
2024.
When an ‘orcs’ missile struck.
The neighbouring block directly.
The blast wave.
Shattered the windows.
The ceiling and the equipment.
In the wards.
and began winding up
the ball again.
But she didn’t get on
very fast,
as she was talking
all the time,
sometimes to the kitten,
and sometimes to herself.
“Having worked here.
For over 20 years.
On that day.
I don’t even know.”
“How many messages.
And calls.
I received from.
Friends and patients.”
“It was a horrific day;
It’s impossible.
To put into words.”
Recalls the nurse.
as she was talking
all the time,
sometimes to the kitten,
and sometimes to herself.
Kitty sat very demurely
on her knee,
pretending to watch
the progress of the winding,
The children were.
In the shelter.
At the time of.
The explosion.
The ward already has.
A well-established procedure.
For transporting infants.
In the event of a threat.
Kitty sat very demurely
on her knee,
pretending to watch
the progress of the winding,
and now and then
putting out one paw
and now and then
putting out one paw
“We can transport them;
We have everything.
We need for that.
It’s a portable oxygen cylinder.”
“The only thing is.
“The only thing is.
It’s not as quick as.
Simply wrapping the child up.”
“It’s not as quick as.
Simply wrapping the child up.
And heading downstairs.”
Says the nurse.
and now and then
putting out one paw
and now and then
putting out one paw
and gently touching the ball,
as if it would be
glad to help
if it might.
In the premature babies’ ward.
Parents spend several weeks.
By their babies’ sides.
By their babies’ sides.
Watching them.
Gain weight and.
Learn to breathe.
On their own.
– it was the black kitten’s
fault entirely.
– it was the black kitten’s
fault entirely.
For the white kitten
had been having its face
washed by the old cat
for the last quarter of an hour
The medical staff’s role.
Is not only to care.
For the baby.
For the baby.
But also to support.
The parents who are.
Particularly vulnerable.
At this time.
For the white kitten
had been having its face
washed by the old cat
for the last quarter of an hour
(and bearing it pretty well, considering);
so you see that
it couldn’t have had
any hand in the mischief.
“I realise that.
For me as a professional.
These aren’t strictly.
Medical matters.”
“But they’re necessary.
Because a mother.
Who’s feeling down.
Or depressed.”
“Isn’t of any help to.
Either her child or.
The medical staff.
And the treatment and.”
“And the treatment and.
Care of a premature baby.
Is a team effort,”
Explains the head.
– it was the black kitten’s
fault entirely.
– it was the black kitten’s
fault entirely.
For the white kitten
had been having its face
washed by the old cat
for the last quarter of an hour
The head of the department.
Smiles as.
She recounts how.
Decades later.
35-year-old men.
knock on.
The department’s door.
Saying: “I was.”
“Born prematurely.
In 1990.
You saved my life.
And I’ve come to say thank you.”
*Because I read “”Відділення переповнене важкими дітьми”. Як в Охматдиті рятують новонароджених під час війни(“The ward is full of difficult children.” How newborns are saved in Okhmatdyt during the war)” by Natalia Patrikeeva on 12 Sep 2026 on the BBC news Ukraine, and also “Why are Ukrainians calling Russians ‘orcs’?” by James FitzGerald on 30 Apr 2022 on the BBC news.
So, I wrote this poem, as a story of Tatyana Orlova, and a story of Yulia, led by ‘THROUGH the LOOKING-GLASS’ written by Lewis Carroll, you know.
Please read the original story on the BBC news Ukraine:
