Despite a terrible diagnosis and limited mobility, Iryna Mitina continues to create, inspire, and give hope to thousands of people. Her motto "Sapiens dominabitur astris" ("The wise will rule the stars") adorns her social media profile, where thousands of followers keep track of her journey.
Iryna was born in Latvia, and later her family settled in Kyiv. The capital became a true home for her: here she obtained two professions – a hairdresser and a psychologist, fell in love with fitness and bodybuilding. On the advice of her coach, she tried weightlifting and achieved results in a matter of months that others take years to accomplish.
"I was among the first Ukrainian fitness bloggers. I lived for sports, loved activity, and always aspired to be in top shape. I planned to become a master of sports. But one moment shattered all my plans," recalls Iryna.
In October 2008, her life was divided into "before" and "after." The road from Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi, the night fog, the slippery surface – the car was thrown off the road and rolled over several times. Almost all passengers were unharmed. Except for Iryna.
"I was dozing in the back, woke up feeling like I was in a washing machine drum... When I came to my senses, I stretched out my hands to be pulled out. That was a fatal mistake – as it turned out later, it was at that moment that a fragment of a vertebra damaged a nerve," shares the girl.
Broken cervical vertebrae, complete paralysis, hours of searching for a hospital willing to take on such a case. Doctors advised preparing for the worst. But Iryna and her loved ones decided to fight.
In a capital emergency hospital, she underwent a unique operation – the damaged vertebra was replaced with a synthetic implant. With her inherent optimism, Iryna believed in a quick recovery. However, after a more complicated intervention and severe complications, the girl existed for six months on a ventilator.
Later, she was transferred to a newly established private center, which lacked equipment. Close friends found an outdated medical pump and personally drained fluid from Iryna's lungs.
The hardest trial was not the physical pain, but the moral loneliness. Many acquaintances simply disappeared. And treatment required huge investments: in the first month alone, the family spent about $30,000. Thousands of hryvnias were spent daily on medications. Without the help of a close circle of friends and hundreds of caring people, overcoming the financial abyss would have been impossible.
A special exercise program developed by coach Vyacheslav yielded results: despite the pessimistic forecasts of doctors, Iryna learned to breathe independently.
Next came a new challenge and a new victory. Thanks to people's help, she raised funds for treatment in China. There, she received a transplant of healthy stem cells from her thigh to her neck. While it did not restore full mobility, it became a powerful impetus. Unfortunately, prolonged rehabilitation abroad proved unaffordable, and a course at a clinic in Zaporizhzhia was postponed – first due to the pandemic, then due to the war.
However, Iryna continues to seek new paths and meanings.
"At one point, I felt total exhaustion, hopelessness, and emptiness. I sat at home, did nothing, and was interested in nothing. But art brought me back to life," she says.
Although her hands function at only 30%, this did not become an obstacle. The girl bought an easel, found online lessons, and independently constructed a device to hold the brush. Her works – impressive oil landscapes, images of animals, biblical motifs – are sold online. This is not only a source of income but also a way to help others: she directs part of the profits to charity.
"Wonderful works," "Unique canvases painted with heart," "Paintings filled with light," commenters write about her art. And those who know Iryna personally add: after learning her story, you truly begin to appreciate life.
Iryna does not give up. She paints places she has never been but dreams of seeing. She actively manages her social media and provides psychological support to people with disabilities, seriously ill patients, and those in hospices and boarding schools. She also has a big dream: to organize an exhibition of her paintings to show the world – "Sapiens dominabitur astris."
