Beckham applauded for letting Ukrainian doctor use his Instagram account to show life-saving work

Legendary England footballer David Beckham on Sunday handed control of his Instagram account to a Ukrainian doctor in the war-torn capital city of Kharkiv. For 24 hours, the former England captain's Instagram stories were inundated with photographs and videos posted by Dr Iryana, a child anesthesiologist and head of the regional perinatal centre.

Throughout the day, Dr Iryna gave a glimpse of what medical professionals are doing amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by David Beckham (@davidbeckham)

Dr Iryna showed Beckham's 71.5 million followers the cramped basement where all pregnant women and new mothers were evacuated to during Vladimir Putin's forces' first day of the invasion. Another video showed how newborns were being treated and a basement where patients were moved to escape the shelling.

The Ukrainian doctor also posted photographs of newborns in the intensive care unit, where they relied on oxygen generators donated by Unicef. 

Dr Iryna said she now works "24/7" and "We are probably risking our lives, but we don't think about it. We love our work. Doctors and nurses here, we worry, we cry, but none of us will give up."

Kharkiv is Ukraine's second-biggest city and has been the target of Russian shelling for more than three weeks.

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star said he wanted to highlight the "amazing work Dr Iryna and health workers like her are doing to save lives in Ukraine".

Beckham, an ambassador for Unicef since 2005, also urged his followers to donate to the charity, which is working in Ukraine to provide families with access to clean water and food, deliver ready-to-use kits to maternity hospitals, and ensure child protection services continue.

"Thanks to your donations, the oxygen generators they have received are helping newborns survive in appalling conditions," he said.

He and his wife Victoria, who was a singer with the Spice Girls, are reported to have donated 1 million pounds to help fund the organisation's work in Ukraine.

Following this gesture, Unicef thanked the former England legend and said, "Thank you @davidbeckham for handing over your account, to Iryna for your heroic work, and to everyone helping children with a donation."

Several people took to Twitter to thank the football legend for this iniative, even as Russia continues to wage war on Ukraine. Here's a look at some of the reactions: