(ZENIT News / Rome, 03.06.2025).- Amid global discussions on the value of life and ethical dilemmas in modern medicine, Ukrainian nun Sister Giustina Holha Holubets has been recognized for her unwavering commitment to parents facing devastating prenatal diagnoses. On March 5, the president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, presented her with the «Guardian of Life» Award for her work in offering care and guidance to families who, in moments of despair, might consider abortion as their only option.
Sister Giustina, a member of the Servants of Mary Immaculate, is not only a clinical psychologist at the Medical Genetics Center in Lviv but also the founder and president of «Huella de Vida», a pioneering perinatal hospice established in 2017. The organization, driven by its motto—»I cannot give days to your life, but I can give life to your days»—provides perinatal palliative care to families experiencing the heartbreak of severe and untreatable fetal conditions.
During a press conference at the Pontifical Academy for Life’s General Assembly, which explored the theme «The End of the World? Crisis, Responsibilities, Hopes», Sister Giustina spoke passionately about the urgent need to change societal attitudes toward prenatal loss. She pointed out that prenatal diagnoses often lead to pregnancy termination, which, in turn, skews medical statistics by reducing recorded cases of congenital conditions.
Her work at «Huella de Vida» is built on four core pillars:
– Raising public awareness about prenatal and perinatal grief
– Providing emotional and psychological support to mothers and couples facing a severe fetal diagnosis
– Advocating for the dignity and care of unborn children with terminal conditions
– Accompanying parents who have lost a child during pregnancy or shortly after birth
Sister Giustina emphasized that no life is too brief to leave an imprint on the world. The hospice’s approach focuses on helping parents cherish every possible moment with their child, no matter how short.
«A tiny footprint can still leave a mark on this earth,» she said. «Our mission is to strengthen parents so they can continue the journey of pregnancy with love, appreciating each moment they have with their child.»
She also highlighted a widespread lack of awareness surrounding prenatal and perinatal grief, lamenting that many people do not know how to support families in these situations. To change this, «Huella de Vida» promotes October 15 as a global day of awareness for pregnancy and infant loss.
«For us, this day is an opportunity to proclaim the value of even the shortest lives. It is a day to honor motherhood and fatherhood. In the evening, we light candles in memory of these little souls, creating a wave of light across the world—a wave of remembrance, hope, and love,» she explained.
Sister Giustina’s message was clear: even when medicine offers no solution, love remains. «In situations where ‘nothing more can be done,’ there is always something left to do: to love—to love until the very end.»
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