Ukrainian heart transplant recipient now in Offaly after fleeing war

A WOMAN who had a heart transplant in January is one of over 130 displaced Ukrainians who are being accommodated in Tullamore's Central Hotel.

Ilona Klymko, 32, is in Tullamore with her husband Mohammed Salous, their two-year-old daughter Kamillia, Ilona's mother Iryna and Mohammed's 25-year-old son Kasim.

Mr Salous learned English in his country of birth, Kuwait, and he told the Tullamore Tribune about how his wife's medical needs are now the family's priority.

Her heart transplant went well but like many who undergo such an operation, she developed skin cancer afterwards.

“Everything was okay [for] one month, and then they find that she had melanoma,” said Mr Salous.

Russia invaded Ukraine soon after that diagnosis and the family had to leave their Kyiv home, travelling first to Poland and on to Berlin before deciding to come to Ireland.

“From the beginning I wanted to be here because my uncle in England said the hospitals here are very very high [standard],” Mr Salous explained.

He knew the health service in Germany is also very good but opted for an English speaking country because he believed it would be easier to speak to doctors and eventually, to find employment.

Though he has not used his English for about 28 years, he remarked: “I speak English very well. I want to work.”

Ilona was seen by Dublin-based oncologist, Professor Oscar Breathnach, on Monday and the family were being assisted on Wednesday evening with transport from Tullamore for further appointments.

Mr Salous said Professor Breathnach told them they might have to seek accommodation in Dublin: “We will have to go to Dublin because he said he wants us to be near him to help us.”

Mr Salous, 50, was in the clothing trade in Kyiv before the invasion and he hopes to “to find a good life" for his family.

“I know that life is in the hand of God but I have to do something,” he said. “Until this war happened, all the time [Kyiv] is beautiful, with lights [at night], and all the people go here and there. Now, nobody. It is a city without any people. I don't know why this war has to be.”

He said disputes between countries and people should be resolved in other ways: “Because we are human we can find a solution, we have a mind.”

Mr Salous' family and all the other Ukrainians who are staying in the Central Hotel were formally welcomed to Offaly on Wednesday evening by local representatives, including Cllr Declan Harvey, Cathaoirleach, County Council, Cllr Tony McCormack, chair, Tullamore Municipal District, and other councillors.

Cllr Harvey said: “Hopefully they will settle in, be happy and get over the trauma that they are going through. It's an ongoing situation with the war in Ukraine and it's humanitarian aid for these people.”

Cllr Harvey added: “Not as Cathaoirleach, but as Decky Harvey, a Tullamore born and bred man I'm glad that Tullamore can offer these people safe refuge, somewhere nice, clean, and warm to stay.

“They are happy but you can see that they are frightened. You can see it in their eyes, genuinely there's a fear there of the war.”

Cllr McCormack said it is important for the Ukrainians to know the people of Tullamore and Offaly are delighted to help them.

“We understand where they're coming from. We understand that they've come from a war torn country. We also know they have left some loved ones behind, some family and friends, and hopefully the war situation will be resolved fairly quickly,” he said.

“At the same time, we'll look after them here in Tullamore, in Offaly, in Ireland, for as long as they need to be looked after, and we'll share our culture and heritage with them while they will share their culture and heritage with us.”

He said Ireland and Ukraine had similar histories because they were both controlled by a “bigger neighbour” and he believed Ukraine will not want to give up its independence.

“They got a taste of freedom... and now they have matured as a nation and were enjoying their freedom and their democracy and they are going to fight all the way to the bitter end to ensure they maintain that.

“And we wish them all the best in doing that and if there is anything we can do as a council or individual councillors for them while they're here to make their stay better or if we can integrate them into society or help them getting jobs, or being involved in different organisations in the community, we'll be there for that in any way we can.”

Deirdre Fox, manager of the Offaly Volunteer Centre, has been helping the new arrivals since they first came to Tullamore.

“We were involved in the original loading of the trucks that went to Ukraine,” Ms Fox explained.

“As a result of that some displaced Ukrainians joined us and said they would like to have an opportunity to meet with other Ukrainians so we provided a space for them to do that.”

A shop – where the Ukrainians can browse and choose what they want free of charge – has been set up in the Volunteer Centre premises on Bury Quay.

An appeal for donations of essential items prompted a massive response and volunteers took note of individual requests from the refugees.

“When they arrived here last Wednesday week late at night we had Ukrainian flags hanging outside our building and they were attracted by that when they were walking up to the canal. So they popped in,” said Ms Fox.

Requests vary from adaptors for plugging in electrical devices to queries about local pharmacies.

“Some people are unwell from having been living in the bunkers,” said Ms Fox.

Education of the children has been emphasised by many of the mothers, and volunteers from a pre-school in Durrow were helping set up a playroom in the hotel this week.

Though they are still settling in, some of the new residents have already signed up as volunteers with the Offaly Volunteer Centre themselves.

“They want to be part of what ever is going on to make their life easier here,” said Ms Fox.

Martin Buckley, chair of the Volunteer Centre board said ongoing support will be given to the Ukrainians.

“As a volunteer and an Offaly man myself I'm proud to be part of a project to help our European neighbours to settle in for as long as they need to settle in and be part of this community,” said Mr Buckley.

A 21-year-old university student from Dnipro, Vlas Novokhatnii, is in Tullamore with his mother Oksana.

He was studying maths and statistics hundreds of kilometres away in Kyiv and because his father works as a first responder, his mother was often at home alone with “missiles flying over the building”.

They decided to come to Ireland through Poland and is in regular contact with his father, who had to stay behind.

A fluent English speaker who is interpreting for many of his fellow nationals, the student said he always loved Irish culture.

“I love to be here, I love to be a part of this place, to help my Ukrainian community but also help the Irish community to integrate all the people from Ukraine,” he said.

He said they were all very grateful for the help they are receiving in Ireland.

“It's hard for us to believe how kind you are... I want to give back, I want to make this place grow, I want to make this place prosper.”

He sees English language lessons as crucial if his compatriots are to realise their ambition to get employment here.

“Without English it's really hard to get a job,” he said. “Everyone would be eager to work and not just receive financial support.”

While happy to be in a safe country, he says many of those staying in the hotel feel “bittersweet”.

“They think this is some kind of dream because before [the invasion] it seemed to be a dream because of how horrible it was. You couldn't imagine that something like that can actually be happening,” he said.

“But right now it seems to be a dream because of how great it is. It still seems surreal to be honest. At the same time most of these people do not take it for granted.

“They really understand how much they are being helped and they are so grateful. They are really happy. But at the same time it's kind of bittersweet because when you think about what is happening right now in Ukraine, what is happening to families you feel guilty about it because you have everything here and the people there have no electricity or no safety.”

All of the accommodation in the hotel will be available for displaced people for at least six months.

Brian Reynolds, hotel manager, said about 103 adults and 31 children have moved in and the hotel is now full.

The dining room is used to serve the new guests breakfast, lunch and dinner but the restaurant, coffee shop and meeting rooms will still be available for public use.

“We're very lucky that we've teamed up with Offaly Local Development and Offaly Volunteers. They have been a massive support to us,” said Mr Reynolds.

He has noticed that many of the new residents are anxious to get their PPS numbers as soon as possible so that they can seek work.

Mr Reynolds also thanked the local public for their support: “The local support has been phenomenal with the amount of donations that people have brought in. We're very lucky with the community that we live in.”