Soldier Serhii Mykhailenko, call sign MYKHAS

I am a junior sergeant of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

On February 16, 2017, I made a decision that changed my entire life. Despite having what is known as a “white ticket” due to a chronic illness, I could not stand aside when my country needed protection. From childhood I dreamed of becoming a paratrooper, and I did everything possible to make that dream a reality.

After completing training at the Airborne Assault Forces training center, I became a BTR-80 driver. Already in the autumn of 2017, our rotation headed to Avdiivka to the legendary Promka and the Donetsk Filtration Station. Then came the Mariupol direction, Vodiane, Talavikka, the Kurakhove direction, Mariinka, Novoaidar, Shchastia…

When the full-scale invasion began on February 24, 2022, our rotation became indefinite. We worked where it was hardest: Siversk, Lysychansk, Bakhmut, Soledar, Kramatorsk, Dobropillia, Pokrovsk, and many other settlements. Often at the limits of human capability. We rushed to deliver what was needed for our fellow soldiers in order to hold back the enemy and defend Ukrainian land.

War leaves its marks. And they are not always visible right away.

Today I can no longer carry out combat missions. After many years of service, I was diagnosed with bilateral aseptic necrosis of the femoral heads. Because of this condition, every movement is accompanied by pain, and what was once ordinary has now become a serious ordeal.

Doctors determined the only path to returning to a normal life — endoprosthetic replacement of both hip joints.

The surgery itself will be performed for me free of charge. However, there is a problem I cannot resolve on my own. For the surgery, it is necessary to purchase two high-quality hip implants that will be able to serve for many decades and will allow me to move fully again, work, and live without constant pain.

Unfortunately, the cost of such implants is extremely high. I am not able to cover such a sum on my own, and so today I am compelled to ask for help. Due to my diagnosis, I was discharged from service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine on health grounds. For a person who devoted more than nine years of their life to serving and defending the state, this is no easy ordeal. But I do not lose faith in the future.

I dream of walking again without pain. I dream of regaining my freedom of movement. I dream of fulfilling myself in civilian life. After recovery, I want to work in car detailing and open my own business to work, grow, and build the future that we are all fighting for.

 

COLLECTING: UAH 215,800