‘We are so happy’: Ukrainian girl reunited with father for first time in six months

A little girl has received an early birthday present after she was reunited with her Ukrainian father whom she has not seen since April when she and her mother fled the war to take up shelter in Ireland.

Sofiia Badrak, who is due to turn six on Saturday, rushed in to the arms of her father, Stanislav, at Brooklodge National School in Glanmire, Co Cork, after he surprised her by showing up at her classroom at lunchtime on Thursday.

Stanislav and his wife Yuliia are musicians. Yuliia was employed by the National Orchestra of Ukraine prior to the war while Stanislav is a singer, pianist and composer with the National Academic Choir of Ukraine.

Yuliia said that it was a very exciting moment for Sofiia to see her father having been separated by the war for six months.

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“He flew in to Cork Airport. Stan, my husband [since 2014], has been in Ukraine. In Ireland he will be one week only. And then he will go back to Ukraine. It is sad but it is our life. For Sofiia, it is a surprise. We only have Sofiia. She is six on Saturday. It [him coming] is her present. We are so happy.”

Yuliia, who is from Kyiv, said her daughter likes school and is adjusting as well as can be expected to life in Ireland. She is grateful for the support of locals and her fluency in English is improving by the day.

School principal at Brooklodge NS, Joe Nolan, said that it was nice to have a “real feel-good” story in these troubling times.

“We have eight Ukrainian children in the school. They are settling in as well as could be expected given all the circumstances. They are very resilient. We have a great staff and community behind them.”