Iryna was born and raised in Mariupol and is a trained metallurgy engineer. She later moved to Kiev for work but her whole family is from this city on the northern coast of the Sea of Azov. The war took people and things that can no longer be returned to her: her mother, the family home, the people from Mariupol and and Mariupol itself. Her husband remained in Ukraine. Thanks to the people of West Sussex, she can live in peace and now has the opportunity to help those in need. As she adjusts to her new life, she is actively integrating into the local community, pursuing further education, mastering the language, and nurturing connections with fellow Ukrainians.