Ukrainian refugees volunteer to help transform hospital garden for patients in Swansea

A group of Ukrainian refugees have volunteered to help transform a hospital courtyard for burns patients in Swansea.

The refugees, made up of mostly women and young children, arrived in Swansea in March and have been hosted by local people who have opened their "homes and hearts."

The group offered to volunteer at Morriston Hospital and have been revamping a courtyard garden for Burns and Plastics Unit patients who may be immobile and stuck in the ward for a long time.

After the transformation is complete the patients will get the chance to be walked out or taken outside in beds and chairs to enjoy the garden with visitors.

Bohdana Bahlay, a Ukrainian volunteer, has lived in Wales for 11 years and worked as a specialist cardiac psychologist. She said: "the opportunity came up to help clear the courtyard, so we got involved as a group along with our refugees.

"It means the work can start very soon on redeveloping the area to look even better for patients.”

Many of the volunteers lost their homes in Ukraine and were forced to leave their partners and families behind.

Bohdana said that many of the volunteers are from Eastern Ukraine, 40km from the Russian border:

"The refugees here would obviously like to be back home in Ukraine, but it is not safe as the conflict is still going on," she said. "Their homes have been blown up in the conflict."

Bohdana is a member of Sunflowers Wales, a community group organised by Ukrainian volunteers which supports Ukrainian refugees in Wales. She explained that the refugees she has supported have been "absolutely amazed by the support they've received".

Bohdana added: "They’ve quickly learned to say diolch! We all want to thank the Welsh people who opened their homes and hearts to our fellow Ukrainians."

The project is predicted to finish by the end of the month and the volunteers are hoping to help maintain the garden for patients in the future.

Louise Limbert, Powys ward sister, said: “patients that come into us have undergone nasty burn injuries and are with us for a long period of time.

"People under our care will often have painful dressing changes and physio, so it’s going to be lovely for them to go outside with their family and see the sky, sun and flowers.

"It will give patients a big lift emotionally with everything they are going through."