Help Bring Irina Home, and Stand by Roman’s Family

I am Professor Mark Hannaford, founder of World Extreme Medicine and the WEM Fund. Over three years our teams have worked alongside Ukraine’s military medics in the hardest conditions imaginable. Lt Col Roman Kusiv is one of those people, a soldier who has given a decade of his life to the service of others, who stayed at the front when the war came because he would not leave the people beside him.

While Roman was serving, his wife Irina died. Suddenly. At home. Her heart, after years of carrying the weight of his absence and the fear that never left her.

She was the centre of their world. She raised their two daughters, built a home on a soldier’s wage, and held the family together through every deployment so that Roman could keep doing his duty. He was not able to say goodbye.

In Roman’s own words:

“You are my world and it was taken from me. I had to die first — on the road, in the exchange, anywhere — but not you.”

Now Roman faces what no soldier should have to face alone: bringing Irina home, laying her to rest with dignity, and caring for two grieving girls — all while still in uniform, still serving.

This fund will cover:

• Repatriation and transport of Irina home

• Funeral and burial costs

• Immediate support for Roman’s two daughters

Our goal is £17,000. Every contribution goes directly to Roman and his family through the WEM Fund. I have known and worked alongside these medics for years. I vouch for this need personally.

Roman has spent his life making sure others got home. Let us make sure Irina does too , and that he does not carry this alone.

With gratitude,

Professor Mark Hannaford