‘We made it!’

An emotional reunion of four generations of the one family took place in the Healy home in Trim on Saturday, following a 6,000km rescue mission to Ukraine.

Luba Healy travelled to Ukraine to rescue her 70 year old Mam, Nina and 98 year old Granny, Galina and was relieved and happy on Saturday night to have her “precious cargo” safe and comfortable many miles from the war.

“We made it! It was wonderful to see my beautiful children and bring my Nana to our home.”

Luba had travelled to Ukraine with her husband Eugene, son Francis and family friend Diarmuid Dawson in a camper van and a jeep.

Luba and Eugene's younger children, Hannah Rose and Harrison were minded at home in Trim by family friends.

Galina and Nina travelled by minibus from their home town of Haivoron in central Ukraine an area inside Ukraine close to the Polish border, where they were met by Luba's group.

They had six neighbours and friends with them as well as three dogs, all of whom were destined for Trim.

It was a journey fraught with danger and frustration, but Luba says she encountered so much kindness and support.

Sirens were blaring as the group from Trim crossed into war-torn Ukraine, while they were also sounding as her mother and grandmother left their hometown of Haivoron in central Ukraine.

Having brought her Mum and Nana to safety in Poland on Monday afternoon of last week, numerous delays meant they missed their planned Wednesday night sailing back to Ireland and initially feared they would not get another until today (Tuesday).

The journey had been particularly difficult for her frail grandmother, Galina and they had to take several breaks from travelling to look after her as she was exhausted and had high blood pressure.

“The thoughts of having to stay in France for nearly a week before we could finish the journey was heart-breaking. I was so worried about my grandmother,” Luba says.

“We were so lucky Stena Line looked after us. They were just amazing. They took us all – the camper van and jeep. They provided food and comfortable suites, Nan was able to sleep in a comfortable bed and we were able to have showers and rest.

“Stena staff, Sylvie Sacuillen, Fernando Machado, Ramona Voicu and Kateryna Romanchenko were just so good to us and made sure everybody was happy.

“They even made sure the dogs were looked after really well.”

When they arrived in Trim, her frail and exhausted grandmother managed a huge smile when she saw her great grandchildren.

“She had been unsure of where she was going, but now she knows it my home and her home also and she is delighted to be with her great grandchildren, and they are so delighted to have her.

Luba's Mum, Nina has visited Trim a number of times and was also delighted to be back.

Luba said she has experienced so much kindness since they started planning their journey.

She paid tribute to Niamh and Niall Mulligan who provided the jeep and trailer for their journey, Paul Dunne of Rambling Rover who supplied the camper van, Evelyn Cullen who provided a proper bed for her grandmother and the Stockhouse Restaurant in Trim who treated a large group of the travellers and friends to a meal on Sunday.

“People have been so good. I cannot thank everyone enough,” she says.

Luba has now helped 10 people from Haivoron come to Trim. As well as her mother and grandmother, they brought six more with them on their recent journey and Luba also helped two who arrived into Ireland through Dublin airport.

“I have got accommodation for six of them, so I have just to find accommodation for two more and I have found jobs for some of them.”

The Healy's are now enjoying a well earned rest but Luba intends to start fund-raising to send more aid to Ukraine.

Prior to her journey she had been sending aid to the war torn country and when they travelled to Ukraine they brought supplies with them.

But for now, Luba is just so happy to have her Mum and Grandmother with her and she has vowed to look after them both “like an egg.”