A five-year-old boy with leukaemia who fled Ukraine is undergoing medical tests in the Republic of Ireland.
Irish broadcaster RTÉ reported that Leonid Shapoval and his family are staying with relatives in west Cork before resuming treatment.
He was scheduled for his final chemotherapy treatment and days away from a bone marrow transplant when Russia invaded Ukraine.
Last week, doctors urged the family to leave.
Leonid's doctors told the family they couldn't provide any more treatment, said his great-aunt, Victoria Walden.
It was later discovered that the hospital in Kiev where he was being treated had been bombed.
She told RTÉ: “The doctor told Jana [Leonid’s mother] They took out all of Leonid's papers and said: 'Run, just run. There's no way he can get any more treatment. We have to bring him home. Because of the war, we don't know what's going to happen.'”
They drove straight to the Polish-Ukrainian border.
“It was a 30-hour drive there and when we got there there was a 20km long queue of cars, but luckily the police were very accommodating once they found out about Leonid's condition,” Walden said.
“They turned on their sirens and drove 20km to avoid having to wait in line.”
Leonid was diagnosed with leukemia in July last year and was scheduled to undergo a bone marrow transplant next week.
The family arrived in Dublin on Monday.
Doctors hope he will undergo his final chemotherapy treatment there before undergoing a bone marrow transplant.
“He needs to be admitted as soon as possible, that's what he needs,” Walden said.
“I hope he gets better and lives a very happy, long life. That's what I want for him, because he's such a great boy.”
Leonid's mother, Yana Shapoval, told RTÉ: “Leonid is so sweet and very active – he's a very lucky little boy.”
“I hope he's happy and we're free.”
