The Heart-Wrenching Reason Prince Harry Personally Reached Out To A Ukrainian Woman
Fans of the United Kingdom's royal family have passionate opinions on each member, especially Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex. While Harry was once a beloved member of the family, his choice to step away from his royal duties with his wife, Meghan Markle, for a quiet life in California rubbed fans the wrong way.
Things didn't get better when he and Meghan sat down with Oprah Winfrey for a tell-all interview. While his reasons for leaving were hard to deny — he was struggling with mental health issues over the stress of his family's safety — fans were not thrilled about the allegations made in the interview (via the Independent).
Following the pair's U.K. exit and interview with Oprah, their popularity had gone down with English citizens (via The International News). Regardless, Prince Harry has continued to push forward with projects he is passionate about. He has continued working on his charities and speaking at events he is passionate about. Most recently, he had a touching moment with a Ukrainian citizen that even his harshest critics might find moving.
Prince Harry helped a woman through the unthinkable
One of Prince Harry's most passionate projects is the Invictus Games, an international sporting event for injured and disabled service men and women. The first event took place in 2014 and has been an important part of the Duke of Sussex's life since (via Royal UK).
This year, the Invictus Games looked a bit different. While the war between Russia and Ukraine raged on, an athlete slated to compete in the competition was unable to attend. That's when Prince Harry gave her a personal phone call. Yulia Paievska was set to participate in the games but while she was volunteering as a paramedic in her native Ukraine, she was captured by the Russian military. She told The Telegraph that she was held and tortured for three months and that a call from Prince Harry helped her carry on. "He simply inspired me to continue to fight," Paievska said. "He said that he supports Ukraine and all of us. The Invictus Games family always takes care of its members."
Paievska endured the unimaginable. She was held in solitary confinement and was only served half a cup of water a day. She credits the Duke of Sussex with helping her return to life outside of Russian capture. "I am very grateful to Prince Harry because it was after the Invictus Games that the Russians stopped interrogating and torturing me," she said. "I think that spreading the word to the whole world influenced their decision to trade me in a prisoner exchange."