Sons of Valour
Stories of Sons Who Volunteered and Were Killed in the Ukraine War as told by the Mothers who Grieve Them.Roxanne Watts
Sons of Valour
What is it like to love an adult son for the values they represent, knowing that their desire to do good in the world will put them at risk of losing their lives in battle?
In these pages, six mothers from Australia, Sri Lanka, England, Canada and the Czech Republic talk of the experience of losing their sons, after they volunteered to fight in Ukraine against the Russian invasion ordered by Vladimir Putin. Sons of Valour is a testament to these young men and their courage, but also to that of their mothers, who have lived with unfathomable grief and have been forced by this tragic circumstance to reinvent their will to live. And in these deeply felt stories, the mothers talk too, of the resilience, courage and gratitude of the Ukrainian people in whose defence their sons (and themselves) paid the ultimate price.
About the Author
Roxanne WattsRoxanne is an Australian jeweller, educator, adventurer, activist and humanitarian.
Roxanne holds a Post Grad Diploma of Education, Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree with distinction, Advance Diploma of Engineering Jewellery Design and is a Registered Trainer and Assessor.An established Jeweller that has exhibited her work nationally, participated in international residencies as well as been featured in global publications for her jewellery.
Roxanne has developed curriculums and polices, covering areas in both Education and the Creative Arts. In the last two years Roxanne has focused on writing a specialised programme of Art Metal Therapy for those effected by PTSD. Roxanne teaches this programme as a volunteer in Ukraine to soldiers, medics, doctors, military guards and frontline workers.As the mother of Sage Avalon O’Donnell, an international soldier who gave his life defending Ukraine, Roxanne writes from the lived experience of loving someone who chooses service above self.Roxanne understands the complex emotional terrain of being a soldier’s mother — the pride and admiration for a son who walks toward danger with conviction, and the quiet, persistent fear that shadows every deployment.When Sage told her he was going to Ukraine, she felt a convergence of dread, love, disbelief, and deep knowing — knowing that this was his chosen purpose. The life of a Defence Force family member is one of waiting, hoping, and holding faith, even while understanding that everything can change in a single moment. Through her writing, Roxanne gives voice not only to part of her own story, but to the unspoken strength of mothers, partners, and families who live in that fragile space between courage and loss.
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