David Beckham hands over his Instagram account to a Ukrainian doctor


A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
David Beckham forfeited control of his social media for a day to spotlight the "amazing" work health care workers are doing in Ukraine.
The soccer star, who has more than 71 million followers on Instagram, announced Sunday he'd be handing over control of his account to a woman named Iryna, head of the Regional Perinatal Centre in Kharkiv, Ukraine.
"There, she is working with pregnant mothers to help them give birth safely," Beckham said, and he encouraged followers to watch his Instagram Stories to "learn more about the amazing work that Iryna and health workers like her are doing to save lives."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
On Beckham's account, Iryna shared a look inside the Regional Perinatal Centre, explaining that she's currently working 24 hours a day.
"The first days were the most difficult," she said. "We had to learn how to work with bombings and strikes. My workday is 24/7 now, I'm here all day. Now, I'm not only the head of the center, but I continue to work as a pediatric anesthesiologist. I unload cargo, I work on logistics and offer emotional support."
Iryna recalled that as Russia's invasion began, "all pregnant women and mothers" had to be evacuated to the basement. "It was a terrible three hours that we spent together," she said. She also shared video of a woman named Yana and her baby son. "On the second day of war, he was born with breathing problems," Iryna said. "He is better now. But his family's house was destroyed and they can't go back."
Beckham is an ambassador for UNICEF, and the Instagram Stories included a link to donate to the organization. Iryna said support from UNICEF is "very important to us," as the group delivers supplies including oxygen generators.
"We are probably risking our lives, but we don't think about it at all," Iryna said. "We love our work. Doctors and nurses here, we worry, we cry, but none of us will give up."
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Brendan is a staff writer at The Week. A graduate of Hofstra University with a degree in journalism, he also writes about horror films for Bloody Disgusting and has previously contributed to The Cheat Sheet, Heavy, WhatCulture, and more. He lives in New York City surrounded by Star Wars posters.
-
Tuberville's military promotions block is upending lives, combat readiness, 3 military branch chiefs say
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
A brief timeline of Russia's war in Ukraine
In Depth How the Kremlin's plan for a quick conquest turned into a quagmire
By Peter Weber Published
-
Ukraine's counteroffensive is making incremental gains. Does it matter in the broader war?
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
How the collapse of the ruble could impact the war in Ukraine
Talking Point Will it hurt Putin's war or is it merely symbolic?
By Justin Klawans Published
-
US commissions first-ever Navy ship in a foreign port
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
British spy chief, Wagner video suggest Prigozhin is alive and freely 'floating around'
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
The US will soon finish destroying its last chemical weapons
Speed Read
By Brigid Kennedy Published
-
Putin and Prigozhin offer rival explanations for Wagner's brief rebellion
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published