David Beckham turns over Instagram account to doctor in Ukraine

David Beckham on Sunday handed his social media channels including his Instagram and Facebook feeds to a Ukrainian doctor to share what life is like in a perinatal hospital in Kharkiv, Ukraine, amid the Russian invasion of the country. 

The soccer superstar, who has 71.6 million followers on Instagram, turned over his feeds to Iryna, the head of the perinatal unit who he said is helping mothers “give birth safely” as the city faces intense shelling.

“We had to learn how to work with bombings and strikes,” Iryna said in the captioned stories on Instagram showing the basement housing evacuated mothers and newborn babies.

She added that she works “24/7.” 

“We are probably risking our lives, but we don’t think about it at all,” she added, according to Reuters. “We love our work.”

The Ukrainian doctor also shared the story of Yana and her baby son Mykhailo, who was born on the second day of the war with breathing problems. She added that the child was “better now.”

She also showed viewers newborn babies dependent on oxygen generators donated by UNICEF.

“Thanks to your donations, the oxygen generators they have received are helping newborns survive in appalling conditions,” Beckham, who is an ambassador for the humanitarian aid agency, said in a video on Instagram.

Beckham also urged people around the world to donate and send aid to Ukraine via his 7 Fund for UNICEF.

Ukrainian officials have accused Russia of war crimes in targeting civilians in residential buildings, schools and hospitals. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said last week that more than 600 buildings have been destroyed in the city since the beginning of Russia’s invasion.