Dedicated to all who know the pain of loss
Karina Sarkisova came to Ireland in 2022 with her husband and two daughters after the war began. Like many Ukrainians, they dreamed of a safe life, good education for their children, and their own business. The family planned to start a family enterprise: opening a store selling stylish women’s clothing. The whole family worked on the idea.
For advertising their future store, they bought a white bear mascot costume. The character, worn by Karina’s husband, was supposed to walk the streets and hand out flyers. In Ireland, such an idea could work because similar strategies aren’t used in small towns there. Next on the agenda was opening an online store, purchasing goods, finding premises, and many other stages. But there was no rush – after all, they had their whole life ahead of them. At least, that’s how it seemed.
The Tragedy That Changed Everything
Their eldest daughter Alla was finishing school and preparing for further education. A healthy girl who hadn’t been sick once in 17 years, she dreamed of the family business, studies, travel, the ocean…
“Alla just collapsed, losing consciousness in one moment, and never regained it,” recalls her mother, remembering the most painful moment.
Alla, eldest daughter
The family couldn’t believe the diagnosis. At Cavan Hospital, they did tests and immediately said: it’s a brain tumor. In Dublin, doctors delivered the terrible news – stage four. According to their prognosis, the girl had only two months left.
The tumor in Alla’s head was growing without pressing on other parts of the brain. That’s why the disease couldn’t be predicted in advance.
“My daughter got sick in one moment and that’s it – nothing else mattered, no money, no business, absolutely nothing, just that she would live,” Karina recalls.
Later, countless people joined to help them endure this trial. Karina remembers many acquaintances and almost strangers who stayed with the family until the end. Everyone helped as they could, from moral support to organizing accommodation in Dublin. Father Vasyl, a priest from Dublin, became a steady support, serving both as a priest and psychologist.
Paradoxically, the family calls these ten months of Alla’s illness the happiest in their lives.
When Alla felt better, they hurried to live. They created their own traditions: going to cafes every morning, walking, traveling around Ireland. They did everything they previously hadn’t had time for. They traveled with their daughter to Sligo, Bundoran, and other places. Alla loved the sea and ocean…
The girl died on April 18th last year. Irish doctors did everything possible, and the family is very grateful to them. All medical care was free.
Grief as Strength for a New Beginning
“It’s not like a stab in the back, it’s just that the ground was knocked out from under you because you have no support. Because this is, well, Allochka was 18 years old, she’s my friend, my closest person, my everything,” describes Karina her state after the loss.
A month after their daughter’s death, the family realized: the only way not to go insane was work. Karina had experience losing a close person. When she was 19, her mother died of cancer. Then she withdrew into herself, didn’t share her grief, and took a long time to recover.
“I decided that with my daughter it would be different. I need to be open, speak, tell. Our grief is not only ours, we are not alone,” says Karina.
Two sisters Sofiia and Alla
A month after losing their daughter, in May 2024, the family applied for a Back to Work Enterprise grant. This program allows registration as a private entrepreneur while maintaining social assistance for two years. However, getting such a grant isn’t easy. You need to develop a business plan, successfully pass many interviews and meetings, defend your idea, and get permission to start. After six months, they managed to get the grant and open three business directions at once.
Intense Workload as a Way to Return to Life
The main direction is an online clothing store. They purchase items in Turkey and Italy. Delivery from Turkey takes a month because goods travel through other EU countries, while from Italy it’s faster.
The second direction arose unplanned. The bear costume from Ukraine was supposed to be just an advertising gimmick, but people started inviting him to birthdays, First Communion parties, and graduations.
The third direction is spray tanning, which Irish people love very much. There’s not much sun in Ireland, but people want to have a chocolate tan. Karina has her own cabin in Cavan where she performs the procedure.
Finding premises for the clothing store proved difficult. Many premises stand empty – owners simply keep them closed. Available premises are very expensive. So Karina rented the second floor in a beauty salon where Ukrainian girls do manicures and hairstyles. There she created a showroom for clothing.
How the Business Works
Younger daughter Sonya works as a model for the online store. Karina’s husband works in the bear costume. Karina sells clothes and does tanning.
They find customers in several ways:
Beauty salon visitors learn about the store from the masters
Online through Instagram and Facebook
Word of mouth from satisfied customers
Acquaintances and friends
the whole family together before the tragedy
The “little bear” serves not only Cavan residents – orders come from Drogheda, Dundalk, and other cities. However, the family hasn’t stopped looking for opportunities to scale this direction and add novelties for greater interest.
Business Philosophy
“Our goal is to share positive emotions with people. The little bear gives positivity, clothes make a person confident. These are the emotions everyone lacks now,” says Karina.
“This isn’t just trade – it’s human-to-human contact, moral support. Every person comes not just for clothes or a bag. Everyone has difficult moments in life. We simply share each other’s stories,” explains Karina.
Future Plans
By developing the business, the family not only earns a living and heals wounds but also makes real what Alla dreamed of. So for Karina, it’s important to find premises for the clothing store. If this is impossible in Cavan, they’re considering renting in a Dublin shopping center.
“You need to live and implement those ideas you wanted to do with close people. Then their memory lives in every endeavor,” summarizes Karina.
By sharing her story, Karina wants to support other people who are experiencing the pain of loss. And now, during the war in Ukraine, almost every family knows what death is.
By sharing her pain, she not only finds strength for her own healing but also shows others that life continues. In shared pain, shared strength is born.