As residents of Ukraine’s cities brace for another winter of air attacks, potentially requiring them to hunker down in freezing homes and shelters, many parents are equally worried about their children’s access to hard-to-get medicines for rare diseases.

For almost 12 years, Alyona Smityukh and her husband have dedicated all available resources to treating their son Sasha’s diagnosed pituitary dwarfism, paying thousands of dollars out of pocket for foreign-made medicines.

“The war is currently having a significant impact on our family’s financial situation, especially with regard to our son’s essential treatment,” said Smityukh. “It is difficult, very difficult, but giving up will not make it any easier, and we understand that.”

However, the past year brought a double breakthrough for the family and many like them: A free initial four-month supply of growth hormone medication donated through Direct Relief; and a resultant growth spurt in Sasha, now 16, that brought him almost equal to his peers in height.…