A team of medics from Southampton have been giving critical care to young Ukrainian refugees with cancer.
“I’ve not led anything like this before in my life, but the team and I felt compelled to do whatever we could to help," said Dr Michael Griksaitis, Consultant Paediatric Intensivist at University Hospital Southampton, who led a rescue effort to Poland.
"We had no real idea of what we might find when we landed.
"Getting the children and their families back to the UK, so they can continue with vital treatment and receive whatever further medical help they might need, was the absolute priority."
Nine doctors, nurses and technicians from the city played a major role in the evacuation of 21 sick children, from the border of Ukraine and Poland.
Dr Joanna Thirsk, specialist registrar in Paediatric Intensive Care, Pame McAleer, senior sister in paediatric intensive care unit (PICU), Carla Hill and Charlotte Hughes, both PICU sisters, Lesa Davies, PICU staff nurse, Seth Oakley and Laura King and Daniel Pollard, all critical care technologists, made the trip.
Based at Southampton Children’s Hospital, the paediatric critical care teams travelled to Poland with bags of equipment and medical supplies, they on a specially-chartered plane.
The children they have brought to the UK had been underoing treatment in Ukraine's hospitals when Russia launched its invasion.
Dr Griksaitis said he was overwhelmed by the human tragedy on the ground in Ukraine, as well as by the response from NHS colleagues who wanted to help.
He said: "This has been the most amazing and emotional experience the team and I have ever had. The families were so incredibly grateful and the stories they told us were so horrific.
"We were just so pleased to do something to help and delighted it has all gone so well so far.
"I am acutely aware that there are so many other people who have been left behind to suffer the ongoing trauma this war is causing.
"We took over care of the children from a team of cancer specialists from the St Jude’s Charity, who did a fantastic job in looking after them during their harrowing journey out of Ukraine, where they had to spend every night in a bomb shelter."
David French, chief executive officer at University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust, said: “It has been heart rending to hear of the plight of these very sick children, caught up in this conflict.
"I and everyone at UHS is incredibly proud of the team involved in this humanitarian mission and everyone who has supported them to make it a success."
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