Pregnant Ukrainian refugee gives birth to baby boy in UK hospital after fleeing war zone

Lesia Husar, 41, gave birth to baby Richard in Nottingham after traveling over 1,200 miles from her home in Chernivtsi, Ukraine, to escape “daily fears of bombings”.

A Ukrainian mother has given birth in a British hospital after fleeing war in her own country.

Lesia Husar, 41, gave birth to baby Richard in Nottingham on Sunday June 12 after traveling over 1,200 miles from her home in Chernivtsi, Ukraine, to escape “daily fears of bombings”.

Baby Richard was born on Saturday June 12th and weighed 4.5 pounds. Nottinghamshire Live Reports.

The hospital staff, who Lesia says was very helpful, organized a moving WhatsApp call with her husband Taras, who was on duty in Ukraine at the time.

After initially traveling to Romania, the pregnant Lesia flew to the UK with her 14-year-old daughter Renatta, where she was greeted by a host family in Woodthorpe.

She was moved to see that the family had stocked their room with supplies in anticipation of their baby’s arrival.

This included a stroller, cot and clothes for baby Richard.

As well as the pressures of long-distance travel during her pregnancy, Lesia was also without her husband Taras, 41, who chose to stay and fight in the war as a volunteer police officer.

As a former police officer, Taras considered it an important duty as he himself was wounded fighting Russian forces in 2014.

Taras also lost some friends in the fighting eight years ago.

While leaving her husband and fleeing to the UK was a difficult decision, Lesia hails from the small town of Chernivsti, where Russian planes constantly hovered overhead and people sought shelter in basements for fear of bombings.

She had to flee for the safety of her daughter and her then unborn child.

When they finally arrived in the UK, Lesia and daughter Renatta were met by a welcoming family.

They were also thrilled to hit the whole street during the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations, where neighbors brought gifts and presents.

Lesia was taken to Nottingham City Hospital where she gave birth to baby Richard on Sunday June 12th.

On the birth of her newborn son, Lesia said: “I am so grateful to everyone – my host family and their neighbors and the staff at the hospital here in Nottingham.

“I was so stressed during my pregnancy which doctors say could explain why Richard was so small when he was born, but it was a great relief to be looked after in Nottingham by such kind and supportive doctors and midwives.

“I love my country and I want to return to Ukraine soon, hopefully by summer, but first the war has to end before I can bring my children back there.”

Richard had woken up one morning before the war started and when she was in the early stages of pregnancy and told her that if her baby was a boy they would have to name him Richard.

Neither of them had any idea their baby would eventually be born in England – but Lesia said having an English name now feels right for her baby.

She had a caesarean section under general anesthetic to give birth to her daughter in Ukraine, so she didn’t see or experience anything of the birth.

In Nottingham City Hospital she was awake this time and was allowed to witness everything.