The mother of three-year-old Sophia Melynchuk, who died tragically after she was accidentally struck by a bus in Tipperary, has thanked the people of the town for their “truly astonishing” support since the tragic accident.
Sophia passed away last week when she was fatally injured after being hit by the vehicle while playing outside her home at Castle Heights in Carrick-on-Suir.
Her heartbroken mother Mariya Ubozhenko posted a message thanking the public for their support in the 'Things I Miss About Carrick-on-Suir' Facebook page.
Her message comes days after Sophia's small funeral on Friday.
Addressed to 'the people of Carrick', Mariya posted on behalf of her family.
“Dear people of Carrick, on Tuesday our world was shattered by the tragic passing of our little girl.
“The worst thing that can ever happen to a parent has happened to us.
“The shock of it is so strong that you are just unable to function; unable to take in or retain any information; unable to do things for yourself…
“The response to our tragedy in the community is truly astonishing.
“The compassionate, wonderful people of this town literally carried us through the last couple of days.
“We are so grateful for your unbelievable generosity, support, kind words, gestures and actions.
“You felt our pain as if it was your own.
“Thank you for making our suffering more bearable. Love from Mariya, Andryi, Maxsum and Denis,” the message concluded.
A GoFundMe page which was set up in the aftermath of Sophia's sad passing by local Lee Murphy has raised almost €70,000 so far to help Mariya and the family with costs.
Over 2,300 people have donated to the fundraiser so far with more than 100 people leaving condolences messages on the page.
