A Ukrainian mum who fled the Ukrainian war for Whitley Bay is desperately fundraising to help provide prosthetic limbs for soldiers and civilians injured in her homeland.
Iryna Orshak fled the city of Lviv with her daughter, first of Poland and then for the UK. She arrived in Whitley Bay and now works for Newcastle City Council. In Ukraine she was a lawyer and PR executive, now she works in data.
But despite settling in the North East, Iryna's mind remains with her loved ones - including a husband and elder daughter - in Ukraine. She is part of an organisation - Dopomogator - fundraising to provide life-changing prosthetic limbs to those who need them, but these do not come cheap.
Iryna said: "When war started, I moved first of all to Poland and then to the UK because it was safer for me and my daughter. We now live in Whitley Bay. I am fundraising for a charity foundation called Dopomogator. They provide prosthetic limbs to Ukrainians who have been injured
"We are trying to collect money for this project. The cost of the prosthetics can be eight to ten thousand dollars, so we are looking for people who can help us raise the money to fund these prosthetics. There are more than 3,000 Ukrainians in need of prosthetics and we have ten people right now we need to help."
The Dopomogator Foundation provides physical and psychological rehabilitation, assistance in education, career guidance and social support to people in Ukraine, but its main focus is on providing bionic prosthetics.
She added: "When the war started and people were injured and needed new limbs, those that could afford it moved abroad for treatment. However, the cost is up to three times more abroad and there are so many people in need now. I felt that I wanted to do my bit to support my people who were left behind."
The foundation plans to supply prosthetic limbs at an approximate cost of $1.5 million dollars which will be given away free to Ukrainian casualties.
"The people of the North East have welcomed me with open arms and have already been very generous to me and my daughter. I would be very grateful for any donations that will go towards making someone’s quality of life a little bit better," Iryna said.
"Losing a limb is life changing and so sad when it has been caused by war. A new limb can reduce their suffering, give them back their independence and help them to start to get their lives back to as normal as they can be."
To find out more or donate visit dopomogator.org/en/regenerateukrainians/
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