Elina Svitolina - care for grandmother in Odessa
Elina Svitolina is very worried about her grandmother Tamara in view of the war in her homeland. "It's hard for older people to go through another war. I hope that one day all of this will end and I can come back to see them," the former world number three told AFP.
by SID
last edit: Jun 21, 2022, 04:57 pm
Her grandmother, who lives in Odessa, had already experienced the Nazi invasion in 1941. "The little food, staying at home or in the basement for several days... it's extremely stressful for people and mentally very, very difficult," said Svitolina: "I try to stay in touch with her and help as much as possible , as I can. She was too old to move."
Like former soccer star Andrei Shevchenko, 27-year-old Svitolina is an ambassador for the United24 campaign launched by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The campaign aims to collect donations worldwide for Ukraine's fight against Russian troops and for the country's reconstruction.
Svitolina's parents and brother were able to flee, but her grandmother, who is over 80 years old, her uncle and his family stayed in Odessa. The port city is repeatedly the target of rocket attacks.