Soldier Nazar Viktorovskyi, call sign CHUVYS

I am soldier Nazar Viktorovskyi, call sign CHUVYS, lost two lower limbs while performing a combat mission in defence of our homeland against the russian aggression, and I want to share my story with you.

From the very first days of the full-scale invasion, I did not hesitate to come to the defence of Ukraine. I had an overwhelming desire to protect my family and my homeland. I did not know what awaited me, whether I would return home, whether I would be able to hug my family again, but I knew for sure that I did not want the enemy to rule my homeland. After being conscripted by the military enlistment office, I was sent to the 24th separate mechanised brigade named after King Danylo Halytskyi, where I underwent many trainings and faced many challenges. Together with my comrades, we performed combat missions and helped each other to prevent the enemy from advancing on our land.

It is not easy to remember the day I lost my legs, but I will try to tell you about my experience. While performing a combat mission in Donetsk region in the town of Chasiv Iar, near Bakhmut, I was in a 6-storey building when three rockets hit, causing the building to collapse. I was on the second floor and was under the rubble. At first I was unconscious, so I don't remember what happened, I came to my senses a few hours later.  It was very dark, I couldn't see anything, I could only feel the objects near me, mostly stones. It was difficult to breathe because of the heavy dust. I immediately felt a strong pain in my legs, tried to pull them up but could not, they were pinned by the debris of the building. I tried to dig out my feet, but I could not do anything because of the large pieces of blocks and stones. I realised that there were many tonnes of stones above me, that rescue was not imminent, and I was overwhelmed with uncertainty and fear. Knowing that I could do nothing, I waited for help to get out of there. I started praying, praying loudly, all the time I was there, I prayed loudly. It seemed to me that the louder I prayed, the less pain I felt.

Hours passed, but no help came. At times, I said goodbye to life, said goodbye to my family in my mind, imagined how I would hug them tightly, how I would pick up my daughter and she would smile at me, remembered pleasant moments from the past, thought about whether I would be able to take my child to the first grade. Although I thought that this place would become my grave, I had an overwhelming desire to live, to get out of there and be able to defend my family. Hour after hour, my thoughts flooded in.

At one point, I heard the sound of bulldozers and people's voices, which gave me hope that help was close. I felt joy and at some moments - peace. It seemed that I would be pulled out soon, but I was wrong. Since there were many tonnes of debris above me, it was not easy to get to me. First, they had to remove the rubble that was on top of me. From the moment the rubble was cleared, the stones next to me started to crumble and the blocks started to shift. The rescuers knew that I was inside and acted carefully to avoid me getting buried under the stones.

That's how 19 hours passed!!!

19 hours of pain, fear, hope and praying.

I spent 19 hours under the rubble in complete darkness and now I saw the first rays of the sun, I was finally found, I would finally be free. 

I was extremely happy to be found, but it was not easy to get out. As I was in a small space, no one could come down to me, so I had to get out on my own. First, I had to unblock my legs. The rescuers gave me tourniquets for my legs and a jack to lift the concrete block. I couldn't feel my broken legs back then anymore, so I had to move them one by one with my hands to get to the gap through which the rescuers pulled me out. They immediately put me in an ambulance and took me to the nearest first aid station in Druzhkivka.

At the time, I thought I would be treated, my wounds would be bandaged and that would be the end of it. But my hopes were vain. When the doctor examined me, he made a rather disappointing conclusion, and I still remember his words: "Your legs will have to be amputated"! At that moment, I did not fully understand the situation, I wanted to live against all odds. Then they gave me an injection and I fell asleep.

I woke up in the morning, my legs were gone, but I was alive and that was the main thing.

After 5 days of intensive care, I was transported to Lviv, where I continued my treatment. I underwent 7 surgeries, re-amputation of my right leg and many injections, which I have always been afraid of)))

After the stitches were removed, I started a rehabilitation course.

During the time I spent in hospitals, my muscles weakened and I had to tone them up. I trained hard to get back in shape as soon as possible and to be able to use my prostheses.

Now I am learning to walk on prostheses, which is not easy, every step is not easy. But I believe that with the help of rehabilitation therapists and doctors, I can do everything.

Throughout all this time, I had the strength to fight because I was supported by many people. First of all, my family, my wife and daughter, who says she has a robot dad because she has iron legs, my parents who were always worried about me, relatives and friends who called and were there for me, doctors and medical staff who did everything possible to improve my physical condition, volunteers who helped and gave me necessary items. 

Recalling all these events, I want to thank God, rescuers, doctors, volunteers, family and everyone who supported me, a big and sincere thank you!!! It is very important and valuable to me!!!

Currently, I need to continue my rehabilitation at the Halychyna Comprehensive Rehabilitation Centre, but the funds allocated by the state are not enough, so I have to turn to benefactors for help.

 

COLLECTED AND TRANSFERRED: UAH 54,000