rtéA five-year-old boy with leukemia who escaped from Ukraine is medically evaluated in the Republic of Ireland.
Leonid Chapoval and his family are staying with West Cork relatives before resuming his treatment, Irish broadcaster RTé reports.
He was scheduled to receive his final chemotherapy treatment, only a few days after the bone marrow transplant. Russia has invaded Ukraine.
Last week, his doctor urged his family to leave.
Leonid's doctor told his family there was no way for him to get further treatment, his great Aunt Victoria Walden said.
They know that since then the Kiev hospital where he was undergoing treatment was bombed.
rtéShe told Rté: “The doctor gave Yana [Leonid’s mother] All Leonid documents said, “Run, run, run. There is no way for him to receive any further treatment. We must send him home. For the war, we shall I don't know what's going to happen.”
They ran straight to the Polish/Ukrainian border.
“They took 30 hours to drive there and when they got there there was a 20km line. But fortunately, the police were very kind to them after they found out that Leonid was there. ” said Walden.
“They put on sirens and took 20km to skip the cue.”
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Leonid was diagnosed with leukemia last July, and a bone marrow transplant was planned next week.
The family arrived in Dublin on Monday.
They hope he will receive his final chemotherapy here before he undergoes a bone marrow transplant.
rté“He needs to be hospitalized as soon as possible – that's what he needs,” Walden said.
“I hope he will heal and live a very happy and long life, and that's what I want from him.
Leonid's mother, Jana Chapoval, told Rté:
“I hope he will be happy and we will be free.”
