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“I got up and walked through the fire.”
When we think of professions associated with bravery, the first that come to mind are those that involve risking one’s life: soldiers and all others involved in rescuing innocents. We might also consider medical professionals like neurosurgeons or transplant surgeons–those whose skill and courage in the operating room can mean the difference between life and death.
At Neopalymi, we believe that this list of heroes should also include teachers and caregivers. After all, each and every human being on this planet relies on them at some point in their lives. Those who work with children are called to demonstrate not only empathy and care but courage, vigilance, and immense dedication.
The heroine of this particular story is a kindergarten teacher with thirty years of experience who embodies all the aforementioned traits.
“I knew I had to get up.”
Two years ago, on July 14, these qualities saved her life during a massive rocket attack on Vinnytsia.
That dreadful day, the 50-year-old Iryna Volkova was on vacation and undergoing a check-up at a neurological clinic 200 meters (or 700 feet) from the Vinnytsia Officers' House (a cultural community center for mass events which has since been bombed). As her appointment time approached, she reached into her bag to check her phone–and it was at that very moment that something hit her in the chest.
"Suddenly, a fire started, the building began to collapse, and dust filled the air. Cars began to explode,” she recalls of those first seconds after the explosion.
Mrs. Volkova reacted quickly, leaving the building with remarkable composure. She instinctively knew she needed to move further from the epicenter of the fire but somehow managed to hold onto her belongings.
When we commented on her extraordinary calm under pressure, she replied, "I am simply a kindergarten teacher…I don’t have the luxury of being scatterbrained.” She then went on to explain that in emergencies or dangerous situations, she first mobilizes her strength to either resolve the issue or ensure her escape; only when she is safe does she allow herself to feel her emotions.
After the Russian missile struck and the clinic caught fire, this carefully considered defense mechanism served her well: “So, I got up from that sofa and walked–through fire, through glass.” She regained her senses roughly thirty meters from the clinic when she found she could no longer stand, as her feet were too badly burned.
“My character is such that I only ever rely on myself; I did not expect anyone’s help.”
As Mrs. Volkova was fighting to save her life, her shoes burned completely, and the soles melted onto her feet. "It was terrifying. And painful!" she recalls. Her right arm, ear, neck, and face also suffered burns.
Fortunately, her upper body sustained the fewest burns—perhaps due to receiving timely assistance or because the burns were less severe (meaning, of a lower degree). However, her feet bore the brunt of the damage: in addition to severe burns, they were lacerated by embedded glass and metal fragments.
The capillaries in her feet were also damaged, further complicating her recovery. Because her wounds are healing slowly, Mrs. Volkova still needs to bandage her legs on a daily basis, even in the blistering summer heat. Now, it's her dance pupils—children—who show their teacher how to properly “stand on tiptoes” [en pointe], Iryna shares with both tears and laughter.
While her right forearm was somewhat less affected, she still had to undergo a skin graft. The next step for this particular limb will be cosmetic smoothing via polynucleotide regeneration. Until she can access this specialized care, she must wear long sleeves to protect her vulnerable, brutalized skin from the sun.
The trauma of the fire left Mrs.Volkova with profound claustrophobia. She has since avoided public transportation like trains and buses–and even bomb shelters. When the air raid siren sounds, she goes to the yard of her home instead. Reflecting on her experience, she says, “...the second time, I won’t go through that fire again […] I already know how painful it is.”
“Everyone has their own problems: some visible, some not.”
Several people recommended the services provided by our organization to Mrs. Volkova right away, but she hesitated, unsure if Neopalymi would have the resources to treat a civilian with her particular medical needs.
Fortunately, our project coordinators were able to go above and beyond–not only accepting her into our program but doing so with a trauma-informed approach.
First, our team located a nearby medical center in Vinnytsia equipped to meet her unique clinical needs, thus sparing her the ordeal of the lengthy, arduous journey to either Zhytomyr or Kyiv, where most of our patients receive treatment.
Mrs. Volkova is deeply satisfied with all aspects of her treatment thus far–from the compassionate care provided by her doctor, Kateryna from the My Skin medical center, who never fails to ask “‘Does it hurt?’” to the financial support she received for her treatment.
When she returned to work only four short months after the tragedy, her loved ones, colleagues–and, of course, her beloved kindergarten students–showered her with care and understanding.
As for her current physical status, Iryna remains unconcerned with the opinions of others.
“Everyone should live their own life,” she stated with her characteristic matter-of-fact attitude.
“Everyone said they would visit me on July 14th”
On February 10 of this year, our dear heroine celebrated her birthday, but she plans to organize a real celebration on July 14–the day she very nearly perished, which she now considers to be her second birthday.
She firmly believes Ukrainians must strive to live fully today rather than postpone the joy of life until “after victory.”
Mrs. Volkova demonstrated this resilience of spirit even in the earliest days of the full-scale invasion. She reports that, at that fateful moment, “everyone in my family went to work. Even the parents brought their children to the kindergarten that day,” recalls Mrs. Iryna, referring to that first terrible day: February 24, 2022. Together with her family, they bought supplies and set out to construct a makeshift bomb shelter in the basement of their home. For several months, relatives from across their region [oblast in Ukrainian] gathered at their newly fortified home; during air raids, their neighbors regularly sought refuge in its bomb shelter.
Iryna Volkova exemplifies the resilience of Ukrainian citizens, whose quiet resolve and unwavering dedication keep their nation strong. Given the unrelenting uncertainty of tomorrow, she believes that living fully today is nothing less than essential.
Now, she looks forward to resuming her life, and her doctors aim to complete her treatment by October 2023. We extend our heartfelt wishes for her swift recovery and many more fulfilling years.
May she continue to educate many more generations of Ukrainian children. After all, who else will guide them in their efforts to stand en pointe?
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