A Ukrainian mother has given birth in the UK after fleeing 1200 miles from her wartorn country.
Lesia Husar, 41, gave birth to son Richard on Sunday, June 12, and was able to share the joy of his arrival with husband Taras, who had stayed in Ukraine to help defend his country. Hospital staff in Nottingham set up a WhatsApp call so he could see his wife and baby son.
Pregnant Lesia left her home in the city of Chernivsti along with her 14-year-old daughter Renatta, heading first for the neighbouring country of Romania, the Nottingham Post reports. They then fllew to the UK where she was welcomed by a host family in Woodthorpe, Nottingham.
Lesia was moved to see that her host family had stacked her room with supplies in anticipation for the arrival of her baby. This included a pram, cot and clothes for her baby.
While it was a difficult decision to leave her husband and flee to the UK, Lesia believed she had to get away for the safety of her daughter and her then-unborn child. Taras, 41, decided to stay and fight in the war as a voluntary policeman.
A former policeman, he felt that it was an important duty to carry out as he himself was wounded while fighting Russian forces when Vladimir Putin annexed Crimea and backed separatists in Donbas in 2014. Hr also lost some friends in the fighting eight years ago.
As Lesia prepared to give birth, she and Renatta were also thrilled to meet the whole street during the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations, and neighbours brought them gifts and presents.
Lesia, who gave birth to 4.5lb Richard at Nottingham City Hospital, said: “I am so grateful to everyone – my host family and their neighbours and the staff at the hospital here in Nottingham. I was so stressed during my pregnancy, which doctors have said might explain why Richard was so small when he was born, but it has been a big relief to be cared for in Nottingham by such kind and supportive doctors and midwives.
"I love my country and want to go back to Ukraine soon, hopefully by the summer, but the war must end first before I can take my children back there.”
Richard's name was chosen after Taras woke up one morning, before the war started and when she was in the early stages of pregnancy, and said to her that if it was a boy they had to call it Richard. Neither had any idea that their baby would eventually be born in England - but Lesia said that her baby having an English name now feels right.
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