Sophia was raised in a family committed to intellectual pursuits. Her father, Atanas Okunevsky, left the clergy to study medicine in Vienna, becoming a respected district doctor. After her mother’s death, Sophia was brought up by her aunt, where her passion for learning flourished. At just 19, she became the first Galician woman to graduate from Lviv’s Academic Gymnasium. She went on to earn her medical degree from the University of Zurich, becoming the first female doctor in Austria-Hungary.
A pioneer in gynecology in Galicia, Sophia also introduced radiotherapy for cancer treatment, established nursing courses, and compiled a Ukrainian medical dictionary. Her dedication to community health led her to work in a charity hospital for the underprivileged, where she left an indelible mark as both a healer and an advocate for Ukrainian women.