Soldier Volodymyr Lohvynenko, call sign LUKE

My name is Volodymyr Lohvynenko, call sign LUKE. I voluntarily decided to defend Ukraine from the first days of the full-scale invasion. On February 25, 2022, I joined the ranks of unit A7347, becoming a machine gunner, ready to defend my land to the last.

My service lasted over a year, and on June 5, 2023, while carrying out a combat mission in the Kharkiv direction, I sustained a severe injury. Feeling the pain shoot through my body, I realized what had happened. It was a penetrating shrapnel wound, with fragments from an enemy munition hitting my spine and spinal cord at the Th-L1 level. As a result, I suffered multiple injuries, including a fragmented vertebral fracture and spinal shock.

I woke up in the hospital, feeling only pain, weakness, and paralysis. From that moment on, my life completely changed. I had to undergo a difficult path of treatment and begin a long rehabilitation process. I had to learn all over again how to get out of bed, sit, and perform basic actions that previously seemed so simple. Gradually, I began to acquire new skills for independent living.

Now, I can confidently transfer myself from the wheelchair to the bed and other surfaces. But this is only half the journey to full recovery. My treatment and rehabilitation have been ongoing for over a year, and there is still much work ahead. To improve my condition and learn to be independent in everyday life, I need further recovery at the "Agape" rehabilitation center.

My goal is to stand on my feet again, move independently, and return to a full life.

Your support will help me complete this difficult journey.

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Thank you to everyone who contributed to the fundraiser for Volodymyr Lohvynenko, callsign LUKA. Doctors have adjusted his individual recovery plan, so he no longer requires additional funds.

All collected donations have been redirected to help another defender – Andriy Samoylenko, callsign SHURIK. He is currently undergoing a challenging rehabilitation process and needs support.

We appreciate each and every one of you who didn’t stay indifferent!