Soldier Anton Kuzio

My name is Kuzio Anton Oleksandrovych. Before the full-scale invasion, I worked as a welder at the Zaporizhstal plant. Life was steady: work, home, and plans for the future. However, everything changed in a single moment when I received a draft notice in June 2023. That was a turning point — I was mobilized into the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

I underwent training with the Air Assault Forces in the Zhytomyr region, where I learned to be a machine gunner, but fate had other plans, and I was assigned to an artillery battalion. After a short training session in Zaporizhzhia, I was sent to the front line, right into the heart of the Donetsk sector's inferno.

I served as a mortar operator, just 1.5 kilometers from enemy positions. At first, I worked with the legendary "Vasylok" mortar, and later I was transferred to a 60-mm mortar. We rang in the New Year 2024 on the front lines, expecting heavy shelling, but thankfully, the night passed quietly.

January 23, 2024, became the day that changed my life forever. That day, we were receiving supplies when another round of shelling began. There were three of us, with another comrade remaining in the dugout. One of the guys noticed a guided bomb (KAB) heading toward us, and we managed to fall to the ground, protecting our heads and opening our mouths to avoid a concussion. But the blast wave engulfed us, and two of my comrades were killed instantly.

The explosion threw me back. A comrade tried to support me and provide aid, but I lost consciousness. I didn't regain it until February 7.

In the hospital, I realized I had lost my sight from the explosion: shrapnel had destroyed my eyes. I underwent two craniotomies due to hemorrhaging. This was only the beginning of my fight for life.

Later, I had to endure surgery on my digestive organs to repair the damage. On the fourth day after surgery, it became clear that everything had started to fester. As tests later showed, the cause was a pathogenic strain of E. coli. They reopened all the stitches, and, thank God, I avoided sepsis, although my temperature remained at 39°C. They couldn't close the wound again due to the high risk of further infection.

I was discharged with an open wound because there was no more capacity for me to stay in the hospital due to the limitations of the medical services package.

Despite all the difficulties, I have not given up.

Understanding the complexity of my condition, the only facility that agreed to take me for treatment was the "Sviyatenko" rehabilitation clinic. My path to recovery is tough and long, but I do not intend to stop.

For further recovery, I need to continue rehabilitation. First, the chronic wound on my abdomen, which measures 50 cm², needs to heal. I also need to undergo training and adaptation to life without sight: learning Braille, social adaptation, and developing the necessary reflexes for independent living.

Another challenge is my persistent lack of sleep, which requires medical treatment. And, of course, addressing post-traumatic stress disorder remains a crucial aspect of my rehabilitation to overcome the psychological impact of what I've experienced.

I know that life goes on, even when you're in the worst of circumstances. Faith, support from comrades, and family are what keep me from losing heart and help me stay afloat.

 

COLLECTED AND TRANSFERRED: UAH 318,500

 

Thanks to the incredible support from the Bihus.Info team, we have great news for our defender, Anton Kuzo!

Initially, we aimed to cover 61 days of rehabilitation, but thanks to Bihus.Info, we can now afford 91 days! This means more time for recovery, rehabilitation procedures, and a better path to a full life.

Your support is a direct contribution to the health and future of our defenders. Thank you to everyone who participated!

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Anton continues to adapt to life in complete darkness. It is a daily, step-by-step struggle for independence: learning Braille, building reflexes, forming new habits, and discovering new ways to interact with the world. It is vital for him to feel that he can live fully again, not just survive.

To help him get closer to this goal, doctors at the rehabilitation clinic recommended a high-tech device — Envision augmented reality glasses. These assistant-glasses are not about luxury. Not about fashion. And certainly not about wanting a “cool gadget.”

They are a tool for survival and adaptation, certified and recommended by the medical team supporting Anton on his difficult path.
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• Envision glasses voice everything around him — text, faces, objects, scenes, colors, cash, even light intensity.
• They can read, recognize speech, map a path, and alert him to the presence of familiar people nearby.
• They even allow him to make a video call if Anton needs real-time assistance.

These lightweight glasses with titanium frames are, in essence, eyes that transform the world into words.
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Without exaggeration, this is a breakthrough. Especially for someone who has just left the hospital ward where he fought not only for his sight but for his life.

Help Anton feel solid ground beneath his feet. Give him a chance at a new level of freedom and orientation.
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Every contribution you make is a step toward independence.

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The fundraiser for helper glasses for Anton has been successfully closed.

The Envision glasses have already been paid for and will soon arrive in Ukraine. Anton is waiting for them with excitement - because this is not just technology. It is his chance to interact with the world again, to recognize faces, read texts, hear what’s around him. To live fully, even without sight.

We are infinitely grateful to everyone who contributed. To those who understand that modern rehabilitation is not a luxury but a foundation for a dignified life after injury.

Thank you for your trust in us as a foundation. For believing in recovery as much as we do.

Ahead lies mastering the glasses, new habits, new steps.

And we know for certain: Anton will succeed. Because with such support there is simply no other way.

 

COLLECTED AND TRANSFERRED: UAH 122,500

 

TOTAL COLLECTED AND TRANSFERRED: UAH 441,000