Communities across Co Cork and further afield have rallied together to raise money to repatriate the body of a Ukrainian teenager who died suddenly last month.
Kateryna Tovstyk moved to Ireland last July and had been living in Clonakilty, West Cork, with her brother Illia and his partner Oleksandra, who have been based there since 2022, reports The Mirror.
Shortly after settling in Cork, the 18-year-old began working alongside her brother at the Clonakilty Park Hotel.
Kateryna died unexpectedly at her home on December 28, reports The Mirror.
Her sudden passing has left colleagues at the Clonakilty Park Hotel heartbroken, and they have since launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the cost of repatriating Kateryna’s body, a process complicated by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
This marks the second devastating loss for the family, following the death of their father last year, reports The Mirror.
The family is now making arrangements to return Kateryna’s body to Ukraine, with the fundraiser established with their consent. Once preparations are complete, her remains will be returned to her mother, where her funeral will take place.
In a statement on the fundraising page, the hotel’s HR manager Maria Carolan said: “Unfortunately, at the end of December, Kateryna died unexpectedly at the young age of 18 years.
“Illia and Oleksandra have been living in Clonakilty since 2022 and have made countless friends. Kateryna and Illia’s colleagues at Clonakilty Park Hotel are devastated by the loss, and along with people locally have asked how they can help at this truly heartbreaking time for Illia and his family, and so this GoFundMe has been set up with the family’s agreement. Illia and his family also sadly lost their father just over a year ago. We can’t take away the heartache of Illia losing his sister, but we can try to ease the financial burden of the Tovstyk Family,” reports The Mirror.
Clonakilty Park Hotel has already donated €6,000 to the fundraiser, with a further €6,000 raised through generous contributions from members of the local community.
Organisers have encouraged anyone in a position to help to donate, stressing that even small amounts can make a difference, with the GoFundMe campaign aiming to raise €15,000 to cover repatriation costs, reports The Mirror.
A number of local families and businesses have already pledged donations of up to €100, and those wishing to contribute or learn more can find details on the GoFundMe page.
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