By Natalya Krasnenkova

Valeria Mashkovska applies make-up, manages a short hairstyle and looks like a Roxette soloist. Today she will go to a medical clinic to start taking in Ukrainian patients.

In Ukraine, Valeria worked as a family doctor and head of a medical centre. She is currently an assistant physician at a medical clinic in Killarney. She is preparing for an English language exam and confirmation of a Ukrainian doctor's degree.

Valeria moved to Killarney at the end of March with her two children, Hlib (13) and Veronica (21). Leaving Odessa was a real challenge for her as she had to urgently evacuate her children and herself when rocket attacks began on the city.

Valeria jumped in the car and ran towards the Moldovan border, the closest point to Odessa. There was no plan but to flee the war as far as possible to save her children.

All she managed to grab was a few things and put a knife under the car seat which was needed to feel at least a little bit safe. Of course, she would not be able to use a knife as a weapon.

"I completely forgot about this knife and crossed all borders with it. I can't even imagine what it would be like if it was found at a checkpoint or at the border. When I remembered about it, I was very scared. I left it in the kitchen in Sofia, Bulgaria,” Valeria says.

After crossing the border, Valeria's family took some time out to recover, and then became quite frightened because they had no money and nowhere to stay. Valeria moved to Bulgaria where she spent a week with the children.

Acquaintances in Sofia gave them housing, but not food. For several days they simply did not have anything to eat. Then Valeria got to the Red Cross, where she received some food. For several days, they have eaten only canned food.

"Nobody taught us how to behave in war, nobody prepared us to drive a car for 24 hours without rest, nobody told us to pay money in case of escape," Valeria added. “You have to do all this for the first time and you can't make mistakes and risk your children. You still have to take them away from the war. ”

To buy tickets to Ireland she had to sell her car. These were one-way tickets.

In Killarney, on the first day of her arrival, Valeria told me: “I need to come to my senses and rest. I'm terribly tired".

But in three days she started working. Valeria took a job as a waitress at The Killarney Oaks Hotel, all the time looking for an opportunity to be useful as a doctor.

All Innisfallen citizens know that we have a doctor that can be knocked on 24/7. Valeria is ready to help people, even when she is very tired after 10 hours as a waitress.

And now Valeria is standing by the mirror, straightening her hair and smiling. For several weeks now, she has been working as an assistant doctor in Killarney two days a week. For the remaining four days, Valeria works as a waitress and she spends all her free time learning English. She's a really tough cookie.