David Beckham hands over Instagram account to Ukrainian doctor, issues heartfelt plea to his followers - WATCH
Former England captain David Beckham on Sunday handed the control of his Instagram account to a Ukrainian doctor working in the city of Kharkiv. Throughout the day, the football superstar's account was flooded with videos and photographs of Dr Iryna, who is among the medical professionals working amid the scenes of resistance in war-torn Ukraine.
The child anesthesiologist and head of the regional perinatal centre put up footage of newborns being treated and a basement to which patients have had to be moved as they seek an escape from war.
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Beckham, who has more than 71 million followers on Instagram, said he wanted to highlight the "amazing work Iryna and health workers like her are doing to save lives in Ukraine".
Dr Iryna said her work had been "24/7" since the Russian invasion, which has led to Ukraine facing heavier-than-expected losses. "The first days were the most difficult. We had to learn how to work with bombings and strikes," she said.
"We are probably risking our lives but we don't think about it at all. We love our work. Doctors and nurses here, we worry, we cry but none of us will give up."
Dr Iryna further described the first day of the war and the "terrible three hours" when the air raids forced families and hospital workers into basement bomb shelters. "It was a terrible three hours that we spent together," she said.
Beckham also encouraged his followers to donate to Unicef, a UN aid agency for which he serves as an ambassador. “Thanks to your donations, the oxygen generators they have received are helping newborns survive in appalling conditions,” he said.
The invasion has wreaked devastation and destruction, exacting a heavy toll on civilians. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday said about 400 civilians were taking shelter at an art school in the Azov Sea port city when it was struck by a Russian bomb. It was the second time in less than a week that city officials reported a public building where residents had taken shelter coming under attack.
"To do this to a peaceful city, what the occupiers did, is a terror that will be remembered for centuries to come," Zelenskyy said in his video address to the nation. "The more Russia uses terror against Ukraine, the worse the consequences for it."
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