Iryna is a vivid example of a strong woman who is not afraid of challenges. She is 46, born in Mala Danylivka in the Kharkiv region, and spent the last ten years in Sloviansk. Iryna grew up in a village, but never let circumstances limit her dreams and ambitions.
Challenges and the drive for independence
The injury Iryna sustained in early childhood from a fall changed her life completely, although doctors were never able to establish the exact cause of the spinal cord damage. Her childhood was not an easy one: stereotypes about people with disabilities left her withdrawn and isolated. She studied at home after the first year of school, but that did not stop her striving for independence and an active social life. Refusing to remain under the constant supervision of her family, Iryna chose her own path, full of trials and achievements.
Professional growth: from a hobby to a career
Her passion for working with people brought Iryna into civil society. In 2008 she founded an organisation of people with disabilities in her district, helping others through the same difficulties she had faced herself. After moving to Sloviansk she earned a degree in information technology and at the same time took up wheelchair dancing, which had been her dream since childhood. Dancing became her passion for a full ten years — she performed at numerous concerts and festivals and even competed in international tournaments.
Iryna became a laureate of the annual «Podolannia» award in the «Creativity» category in Kharkiv. She could not find work in her field, so she took a manicure course and began working as a nail technician, combining it with work as an operator on the STOP COVID-19 helpline.
Meeting GAR
Iryna first heard about active rehabilitation camps in 2005. In 2006 she took part in a camp in Yevpatoria, which became an important stage in her life. She gained deep knowledge about living in a wheelchair, learned about sport for people with disabilities, and found new friends and like-minded people.
Working at GAR: joining the team
In 2022 Iryna completed the online training of the First Contact project and joined the team of GAR’s remote counselling unit. Her earlier experience of volunteering and working with people proved extremely useful.
«This work requires knowledge on many different subjects connected with the life of a person with a spinal cord injury. You also need to know the legal framework, to have communication skills, to understand psychology, emotional intelligence and much else. So all my past volunteering on the STOP COVID-19 helpline, and all my volunteering with the people I helped, came in useful here. In this work, I can say, I have found myself,» Iryna says.
Working at GAR has given her the chance to keep developing and improving her knowledge and skills, which inspires her to go on working to improve the quality of life of people with disabilities.
Plans and dreams
Iryna’s plans changed considerably after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. She had always dreamed of competing in international wheelchair dancing tournaments and of opening her own nail salon in Kharkiv.
Today, however, Iryna’s main dream is peace in Ukraine. She wants to continue her work at GAR, to help other people with disabilities and to change society for the better. Iryna strives to secure a good quality of life for people with spinal cord injuries, so that they feel equal and integrated into society. In the future she also dreams of a home and a car of her own, which would give her more mobility and comfort.
Iryna Sukach is an example of true leadership and dedication. She not only inspires others with her story, but actively helps those who face the same challenges she once did. Her work at GAR is an important contribution to building a more inclusive and equal society in Ukraine.
