For the first time in the history of pre-match ceremonies for the Ukrainian national team, a player was brought onto the field by a child in a wheelchair: 13-year-old Dzvinka Hawrylyshyn appeared on the pitch of the Ciutat de Valencia stadium before the game against Albania (1:0) together with our national team midfielder Ruslan Malinovsky.

Photo: Dan Balashov

Dzvinka is originally from Lviv. She was born with a very rare genetic disease — congenital myasthenic syndrome, which affects the development and function of muscles. In Ukraine, they could not make an accurate diagnosis for a long time, and the necessary medications were difficult to obtain — especially since the war began in 2014. Because of this, in 2015 the family decided to temporarily move to Spain.

Photo: Dan Balashov

It was there that Dzvinka received access to the necessary medical care. Over the years, the girl has undergone several operations: the installation of auditory implants, which allowed her to hear, as well as a complex intervention on the spine with the installation of a metal structure (implant). From the first day in Spain, Dzvinka has been attending a specialized school and, according to her father, every evening she looks forward to the next school day.

Photo: Dan Balashov

The Dzvinka brothers — 10-year-old Bohdan and 3-year-old Ivan — were born outside of Ukraine. In order not to lose their roots, the whole family joined the Plast: the children were among the first scouts in Valencia. They gather every Saturday, study Ukrainian traditions and culture, and go on hikes.

Photo: Dan Balashov

10-year-old Bohdan was also among those who led the players onto the field. The boy went out together with Ukrainian national team midfielder Oleksiy Hutsuliak. Bohdan has been playing football for over six years and plays as a goalkeeper.

The very act of going onto the field was an extremely emotional experience for Dzvinka. She was sensitive to the atmosphere of the stadium, the emotions of the spectators, and the events on the field. After the match, the girl confessed to her father that she really enjoyed being a part of that day.

Photo: Dan Balashov

"For her, these are vivid emotions. She feels the atmosphere very subtly — the people, the support, the noise of the stadium. After the match, she said that she liked everything, especially... the uniform of the Albanian national team! For her, this is an experience that she will remember for the rest of her life," said Dzvinka's father, Lyubomyr Hawrylyshyn.