Lincoln woman takes in refugee child after her mother lost 'brave' cancer battle

Nataliia Isaieva with her daughter Katya
-Credit:Marta Lyall


A Lincoln woman has taken in a teenager whose mum tragically died from cancer three years after fleeing Ukraine. In 2022, Nataliia Isaieva fled to England with her daughter Katya and sister Tanya after the war broke out.

The family settled in Lincolnshire, with Nataliia and Katya finding a home in Horncastle. It is understood that the mum suffered from cancer several years ago in Ukraine, and that this returned and spread across her body.

Her sister, Tanya, who has since moved to London, has described Nataliia as "friendly" and "brave." She explained: "She was brave because she thought she could fight it, she had hope until the last day.

ADVERTISEMENT

READ MORE: Police appeal for help to find two missing Lincolnshire women

READ MORE: Man, 25, left permanently brain damaged by one in a million condition

"She loved her daughter. She wanted Katya to have a good life with an education." She added that Nataliia, who was 44 years old, had always loved animals.

Tanya shared: "She likes animals, she returned from hospital six years ago when she had cancer for the first time. After hospital she found next to her house a cat, she was really small and this cat was maybe one month old, but Nataliia took this cat and treated it well and looked after it.

"She can't pass by animals that need help, she always helped." Nataliia died on Sunday, January 19 after her battle with breast cancer.

Her daughter Katya is now living with family friend Marta Lyall, who sung in the choir at Lincoln Cathedral alongside Tanya before her move. Marta said: "It's awful, this little girl is just in a horrible situation.

ADVERTISEMENT

"I said if anything happens then I am happy to help." Nataliia had been ill in December so Katya had spent some time with Marta then, and then things took a turn for the worse earlier this month.

The 47-year-old stated: "Two weeks ago, Katya came to me as her mum was in hospital and she passed away on Sunday. Her aunt lives in London studying, she is going to stay with me in the meantime."

She added: "This poor girl, it had just been here and her mum." When Katya moved to the UK she did not speak the language but she has settled into life and is "very talented and a budding artist."

She can now speak English and French and is teaching herself Korean. Marta has set up a GoFundMe page to help pay for Nataliia's funeral and has raised more than £3,000 so far.

She is grateful for the response the fundraiser has received and hopes to raise enough to cover the costs and give Nataliia the funeral she deserves.