Ukrainian mum living in Carlisle grateful for NHS birth care

A woman who fled Ukraine while heavily pregnant has said she will be "forever grateful" to NHS staff in Cumbria after she gave birth just two weeks later.

Olena Buzovska, husband Ivan and son Artem moved to Carlisle in March 2022.

Due to a difficult pregnancy she was due to have a Caesarean section in Kiev but when war broke out she was forced to leave while at 37 weeks.

The couple's baby was born at Cumberland Infirmary and they named her Nadiya which means hope in Ukrainian.

They decided to travel to Carlisle because Ivan has a cousin, Natalia, living there.

Although most males aged between 18 and 60 are unable to leave Ukraine, Ivan was granted permission because he has issues with his sight.

The family, who lived in Irpin, on the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital, sheltered for five days at home, amid the Russian army invasion.

Olena had told her husband not to worry as she believed the war would be over within a week.

They became increasingly worried and, with the impending birth of their daughter, the family decided to leave.

Heavily pregnant, Lena drove her family to the relative safety of Lviv, near the Polish border, along with thousands and thousands of others fleeing for their lives.

"At that time, they did not have any more free space for people," Ivan told BBC Radio Cumbria.

"We had to stay at the train station. All the people were sleeping on the floor.

"I know they helped how they could but there were too many people, it was winter, it was cold.

"One night, we didn't sleep and I said, 'Lena, if we will be alive after this story and if everything is all right and you have the baby, we will name her for hope'."

The family are looking forward to their second Christmas in Carlisle and although they have settled into the community they hope to return to their homeland when the war is over.

Recently one of Ivan's friends was killed and Olena's father, who remains in Ukraine, tells them of the bombing he can hear daily.

Nadiya, who is now 21 months old, has started to pick up English and her parents, who are both trained accountants, joked that they are learning the language along with her.

"She says, 'hiya', and sometimes she says, 'daddy or da-da,' but it's always, 'mama'," Ivan said.

"Everyone in the hospital was kind. We didn't speak English at all.

"All everyone wanted to do was help us."

Ivan has secured a job on the processing line at food manufacturer Cavaghan & Gray in Carlisle while Olena hopes to return to work and 15-year-old Artem has made friends at school.

"The first time we were very scared to go out in the street, to go to the shop," Ivan said.

"It was a challenge but people are very kind, they say hello."

Olena added: "People gave us things for the baby. We are thankful to English people."

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