Ukrainian boy with leukaemia being assessed for treatment in Cork

A five-year-old boy with leukaemia who arrived in Ireland from war-torn Ukraine this week is now being assessed for treatment at the Mercy University Hospital (MUH) in Cork.

Leonid Shapoval was due to receive a bone marrow transplant in Kyiv next week. Doctors in Ukraine last week told his parents, Yana and Serghyi, to leave the country to receive medical care for their son. The hospital where the surgery was due to take place has subsequently been bombed.

Independent TD in West Cork, Michael Collins, says the family are delighted that Leonid is being assessed for care by Irish doctors.

“He spent two and a half hours in the Mizen Medical Centre (in Schull) yesterday evening. They made a decision to refer him to the Mercy Hospital. He is there today. We are trying to get his medical documents translated for the family and we are close to getting that sorted.

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“The family went to their own hospital last Friday morning to get an update as Leonid was supposed to be getting the bone marrow on the 10th of March. They got told to take their files and to flee the country. That hospital was bombed yesterday morning.”

Mr Collins said they are trying to find out the identity of the transplant donor for the surgery, which was due to take place this month.

“That donor could be in Ukraine. They could be American. They could be anyone. We are trying to see who they are in the hope that we could get them to Ireland.”

Meanwhile, Mr Collins says that the Shapoval family are overwhelmed by the support they have received from the public, with more than €40,000 raised on a Go Fund Me page in just 24 hours.

“I am also inundated with offers of clothes and personal goods and vouchers for the child. Offers of stays of hotels and that is coming from Dublin down to West Cork. People are amazing.”

The family made the journey from Ukraine through Poland and Switzerland to reach Ireland. They were caught up in a 20km traffic jam to get across the Polish border and arrived in Ireland with just a small suitcase, having had no choice but to leave their possessions and home behind. The priority was in packing medication for Leonid.