The end of a life devoted to others
Irena Sendler died on May 12, 2008, at the age of 98. Hundreds of people attended her funeral.
Among them were some of the children she had saved. They were now elderly and had started their own families. Their children and grandchildren were also present.
One of the survivors stated:
« She gave me life. Everything I have—my family, my career, and my very existence—I owe to a woman who risked everything for a child she didn’t know. »
Irena Sendler’s legacy
Two thousand five hundred children were able to grow up because Irena Sendler refused to look away. These children then had children of their own. Today, approximately 10,000 people are said to live thanks to one woman, a medical bag, and an apple tree.
Irena carried neither a weapon nor a uniform. She held no particular title.
She had simply seen innocent children drowning and had chosen to jump into the water to save them.
Again and again.
