Former English soccer player David Beckham recently handed over his official Instagram handle to a maternity doctor based in Ukraine’s Kharkiv, on Sunday. 

The 46-year-old former England soccer captain shared the Instagram profile of Irina, a child anaesthesiologist, with his 71.6 million Instagram followers. 

Beckham, a UNICEF goodwill ambassador, aims to raise awareness and financial aid for pregnant women in war-hit Ukraine. From hereon, his Instagram account will focus on the challenges faced by healthcare workers who are providing medical assistance in Ukraine during the Russian invasion. 

Kharkiv’s Dr. Iryna is currently the head of the Regional Perinatal Center in the besieged city. According to Beckham, Dr. Iryna has been helping women in labor in the basement of a hospital.

“Hi everyone, so I’m handing over my social media to Iryna, the Head of the Regional Perinatal Centre in Kharkiv, Ukraine where she is helping pregnant mothers give birth safely,” Beckham said in a video on Instagram. 

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“Thanks to your donations, the oxygen generators they have received are helping newborns survive in appalling conditions,”  the former England soccer captain added. 

“Today I’m handing over my social channels to Iryna, the Head of the Regional Perinatal Centre in Kharkiv, Ukraine where she is helping mothers give birth,” he captioned the Instagram video. 

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“Head over to my stories to learn more about the amazing work Iryna and health workers like her are doing to save lives in Ukraine. Please give what you can to support @UNICEF and people like Iryna using the donation link in my bio,” the caption read. 

In a video shared on Beckham’s Instagram stories, Dr. Iryna said, “Now. I’m not only the head of the centre but I continue to work as a paediatric anesthesiologist. I unload cargo, work on logistics and offer emotional support.”

“UNICEF’s support is very important to us, They have been delivering supplies in Ukraine for years and they have good logistics to deliver ready-to-use kits to maternity hospitals,” she added. 

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“The oxygen generators we received from UNICEF help provide oxygen for children in the basement. We are probably risking our lives, but we don’t think about it at all. We love our work,” the maternity doctor further added.  

“Doctors and nurses here, we worry, we cry but none of us will give up. Thank you to everyone who watched my story to everyone who is helping Ukrainian children. Every single donation matters,” she concluded.