A five-year-old Ukrainian boy with leukaemia has fled his war-torn country to continue his cancer treatment in Ireland.
A GoFundMe page for Leonid Shapoval, to help his family pay for his leukaemia treatment in Ireland, has already raised over €41,000.
Young Leonid was due to receive one final session of chemotherapy before he underwent a life-saving bone marrow transplant in Kyiv on March 10.
However, his transplant was cancelled when the Russian invasion of Ukraine began last week and doctors warned Leonid’s parents, Yana and Serghyi, that he would need to leave the country in order to continue his cancer treatment.
Doctors packed all of Leonid’s medical documents and medication in a little suitcase and his family fled across the border to Poland.
They have since heard that the hospital where Leonid's bone marrow transplant was due to take place next week has been bombed in the conflict.
Luckily, Leonid’s mother, Yana, has an aunt living in west Cork, Victoria Waldon, which made it possible for them to travel to Ireland, due to the Irish Government’s decision to waive visa restrictions for relatives of Irish people fleeing Ukraine.
The Shapoval family arrived at Dublin Airport on Monday night where there was an emotional reunion with Victoria, her husband David and son Alexander.
They were also greeted by Independent TD for Cork south-west, Michael Collins, who helped secure their arrival in Ireland, along with officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs, and now hopes to organise medical treatment for Leonid in Ireland.
A GoFundMe page to help his family pay for Leonid’s leukaemia treatment has already raised over €41,000 with generous donations continuing to fly in.
It was set up by his cousin, Alexander, with any profits to be donated to the Irish Cancer Society.
The description reads: “Hi all, I am fundraising for my cousin's 5 year old son who was meant to receive a bone marrow transplant for his condition.
“Leonid has leukemia, and was due to get his transplant treatment in Kyiv last week, as the conflict between Ukraine and Russia got worse, Leonid’s parents were told to leave the country and seek help somewhere abroad, since then we have been told that the hospital in Kyiv he was due to go to had been bombed.
“Getting them to Ireland couldn’t have been possible without the help of Michael Collins and Valerie, so I would like to thank them deeply on behalf of my family. I am asking for any help you can to help with his treatment, any profits will be donated to the Irish cancer society.”
People who donated money left messages of support for his family with one man writing: "Stay strong little buddy. Welcome to Ireland."
Another women wrote: "Our son had Leukaemia in 2015, he is well now thank god but I cannot imagine having to go through the horrendous treatment as well as the upheaval and trauma of war. Praying for you all. "
And a third said: "To have a sick child is difficult enough, without having to leave your home under the present hideous circumstances. We wish you all, health and peace of mind, now that Leonid can get the help he needs."
