This month is Amnesty International’s #Football Welcomes initiative and we were delighted recently to host Ukrainian Iryna Blazhko and her 12-year-old son Sasha at a game.
They are pictured with Haydon the Womble and Dons ST holder Stuart Brown, who has welcomed Iryna and her family to England. The family were permitted to leave war-torn Ukraine for these shores because Sasha is autistic and in need of long-term care.
Stuart told us that coming to a Dons game was very much a welcome distraction.
“Sasha was captivated by the fans, joining in with the clapping and cheering - it held his attention for the whole game.”
Sasha has been joined over here by his seven-year-old brother Marko and parents Iryna and Anton, the family having left the city of Lviv.
You are all welcome at AFC Wimbledon anytime, so come along and see Haydon again!
Pic credit: Ian Stephen, Pro Sports Images.