Soldier Oleksandr, call sign is KHOHOL

My call sign is KHOHOL, and my name is Oleksandr. I serve in the 35th Separate Marine Brigade, 137th Separate Battalion. I was mobilized at the beginning of the full-scale invasion. From 2010 to 2021, I was a career military officer.

I took a year off from routine service, spending time in Ukraine and Poland. When the invasion started, I returned to Ukraine without hesitation.

I chose military service because I found my purpose there.

In September 2022, during the offensive in Kherson, I suffered a severe blast injury that damaged my spinal cord, causing my legs to become paralyzed. Later, during treatment, one of my lower limbs was amputated due to infection.

After the injury, I was in shock as my legs immediately stopped working. Something exploded behind me and hit the ground hard. My comrades provided first aid on the spot and evacuated me from the battlefield. Sadly, one of them recently died – a young man who had just married. As he carried me, he kept saying, "Commander, hold on, talk to us, don't fall asleep!"

I felt a mix of external calm and internal anger, thinking, "Damn, I let them down..."

I was evacuated to Mykolaiv, then Odessa, and finally Lviv.

As of 2024, I have a spinal injury and am considered a "spinal patient." I need a rehabilitation course at the Agape complex to become independent again. This requires learning and effort.

Doctors' predictions are average at this stage, and they keep telling me, "Sanya, you need to keep working..."

 

Oleksandr successfully completed a rehabilitation course that included general strengthening exercises to increase muscle strength and endurance.

A team of doctors and rehabilitation specialists worked on improving balance and coordination, as well as enhancing wheelchair driving techniques.

As a result, Oleksandr achieved significant progress, especially in dynamic balance. He has become more resilient, can independently transfer into a car using a special board, and his ability to balance and overcome architectural barriers in a wheelchair has improved.

During rehabilitation, Oleksandr learned to independently dress his lower body.

We express our sincere gratitude to the entire team of rehabilitation specialists for their tireless work. Special thanks to everyone who supported the fundraising for Oleksandr's rehabilitation. Your help and care made this success possible.

 

COLLECTED AND TRANSFERRED: UAH 64,400