To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

Heartwarming Moment 3-Year-Old Ukrainian Refugee Sees Her New Room And Toys In UK

Heartwarming Moment 3-Year-Old Ukrainian Refugee Sees Her New Room And Toys In UK

A three-year-old Ukrainian refugee was left overwhelmed with joy upon seeing her new room and toys in the UK.

A three-year-old Ukrainian refugee was left overwhelmed with joy upon seeing her new room and toys in the UK.

Since Russian President Vladimir Putin first sent troops across the border on 24 February, marking the start of his 'special military operation' in Ukraine, over 11 million civilians are reported as having fled the war-torn country.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the UK would open its doors to as many as 200,000 refugees.

Three-year-old Maria Hroshkova has since arrived in Southowram, a village in Calderdale, West Yorkshire, where she discovered a room decorated for her arrival and filled with toys.

Three-year-old Ukrainian refugee Maria Hroshkova travelled to the UK with her mother and grandmother.
ITV News Calendar

Maria travelled to the UK alongside her mother Ohla and her grandmother Larysa.

The family had to travel hundreds of miles from Poland and battled for weeks to get their UK visas.

The trio have been taken in by Anne-Marie and her husband Simon Miles, who offered to be hosts before any scheme had even started.

Maria was filmed being shown her new room in the house, turning around in delight and disbelief at her colourful cartoon character bed sheets and a range of toys from Minnie Mouse to a dog toy she can be seen immediately picking up in excitement, before she turns to a pile of books on her bed.

Three-year-old Ukrainian refugee Maria Hroshkova was ecstatic when she saw her new room in the UK.
ITV News Calendar

Anne-Marie - an ex-army wife to Simon who served 24 years in the British Army - told ITV News Calendar how she felt she could relate to the family's displacement.

She said: "I was an Army wife when my husband was fighting in the wars and where would I have gone?

"I asked my husband what he thought and he said yes - we tried to take in Afghanistan refugees who he knew, but they went to Canada. We have a four-bedroom house and our son has moved out."

Anne-Marie and her Simon decided to take in a refugee family even before any scheme first began.
ITV News Calendar

Anne-Marie noted the 'relief' and 'weight [...] off [her] shoulders' she felt when the family finally arrived.

She also encouraged those who have the space to similarly take in a refugee family.

"They are here and they are safe, and I think more people should do it.

"It keeps people safe and they can support each other because grandma doesn't speak good English but Orla speaks fluent English, so I think it's important, I would want to be with my grandma and my mum," she said.

Host Anne-Marie explained what a 'relief' it is to have the refugee family arrive safely.
ITV News Calendar

However, Anne-Marie explained the difficulties they faced in getting the family their UK visas.

"We've been emailing daily asking people to for help with the visas, they've been passed from pillar to post, and we just wanted them here," she said.

Anne-Marie concluded: "It just makes you feel warm. I like to help people anyway it just makes you feel you've done something."

If you would like to donate to the Red Cross Emergency Appeal, which will help provide food, medicines and basic medical supplies, shelter and water to those in Ukraine, click here for more information 

Featured Image Credit: ITV News Calendar

Topics: Ukraine, UK News