To take Inna remains back to war-turn Ukraine

Hi, my name is Francesca and I live in Derry (Northern Ireland). Our family brought Inna and Karolina, her daughter, to Derry in early April 2022.

I met Inna once at an English Language exhibition in Berlin back in 2018 and she left a really good impression on me. We stayed in touch and when the war broke out Inna had just completed surgery on removing a brain tumor. We all know that her home city, Kharkiv, was attacked by Russia and she found herself in a terrible situation.

Me and my family worked very hard to bring Inna to Derry and she was the first here under the Home for Ukraine Refugees Scheme.

We hoped that Inna could enjoy her 3 years here under the scheme and hopefully return to her home in better times.

The NHS done a fantastic job, however her brain tumor returned during her chemotherapy and her time was cut very short.

Inna is now in hospital in the final phase of her life and only has days left

Inna is a wonderful woman who only wanted the best for her daughter. She loved life and our family won’t forget her.

She has a great network of friends and family in Kharkiv who have been praying for her throughout her battle for cancer. Even as war rages they all would want her home to pay their respects.

Inna was so thankful to the people of Derry for helping her. She featured on BBC Radio Foyle a number of times highlighting the war in Ukraine and encouraging other families to come forward and help. Many families heard this appeal in the press and media and her intervention probably led to many families coming forward.

She spoke proudly alongside the Mayor of Derry Sandra Duffy on the 24th of August, Ukraine Independence Day, in the Irish Culture Centre An Culturlann in Derry. The Mayor of Derry Sandra Duffy was touched by her oratory and Inna, even though she was unwell, she was so happy and proud to speak for the Ukrainian Refugee Community.

I am fundraising to help her daughter Karolina to bring her home to be buried in her city with her friends and family, as this is her wish. She is a beautiful, proud, Ukrainian woman whose the last 8 months have been totally disrupted by the war. Help us to get her home for her friends and family to pay their respects and show their loss for Inna. 

Unfortunately Inna passed away Friday morning and she started her journey home yesterday. 

I wanted to thank all the donors and friends who shared this post. 

We are raising the money for her body to be returned to Polish border with Ukraine and then transported safely through Ukraine to Kharkov for burial. The money will cover this cost and the travel costs of her daughter through Europe and 1000km from Poland into Kharkov. The remaining money will transport their belongings and pay for headstone as Karolina wish to return home for now. 

We will transfer the money directly into the bank account of Karolina Shevchenko who is the daughter of Inna. She will pay the professional repatriation company and all fees around transport accommodation and burial. It will be transferred directly into her UK bank account.

I just want to say thank you again for your support and contribution.