David Beckham hands over Instagram account to Ukrainian doctor helping pregnant women and babies

On Sunday (Mar 20), football star David Beckham announced that he was handing over his Instagram account to Ukrainian doctor, Iryna, for the day to highlight the “amazing work” the good doctor and fellow healthcare workers are doing to save lives amid the Russian invasion. 

Dr Iryna proceeded to share harrowing stories and images of her work with pregnant women, new mothers and babies at the Regional Perinatal Centre in Kharkiv.

Over several Instagram stories, she showed the cramped basement in which all pregnant women and new mothers were evacuated to on the first day of the crisis; doctors treating newborn babies in the intensive care unit; and even personal stories like that of Yana and her baby son Mykhailo, who was born on the second day of the war with breathing problems.

"The first days were the most difficult,” shared Dr Iryna. “We had to learn how to work with bombings and strikes. It was a terrible three hours that we spent together. Unfortunately, we can't take babies who are in intensive care to the basement because they rely on life-saving equipment.”

“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,” she added.

In his caption announcing the Instagram takeover, the 46-year-old Beckham wrote: “Today I’m handing over my social channels to Iryna, the Head of the Regional Perinatal Centre in Kharkiv, Ukraine, where she is helping mothers give birth.”

The UNICEF ambassador since 2005 also urged his 71.5 million followers to give what they can to support efforts in Ukraine. “Thanks to your donations, the oxygen generators they have received are helping newborns survive in appalling conditions.”