Soldier Mykhailo Duzenko

Mykhailo Duzenko, a 40-year-old defender of Ukraine, was born and raised in the Kharkiv region. He dedicated his entire life to mechanics and equipment repair. From an early age, he learned to overcome hardships: after losing his mother at the age of two, he was raised by his father, and growing up in a large family taught him to tackle life’s challenges independently. His natural talent for mechanics emerged during his youth when he worked on a combine harvester and later became an indispensable worker at a factory in Kharkiv.

In October 2022, Mykhailo was mobilized into the Armed Forces of Ukraine. While he trained as a gunner, his technical skills proved invaluable in the technical support platoon. Repairing and maintaining military equipment became his primary combat role in hotspots like Bakhmut, Chasiv Yar, and other critical areas.

In October 2023, during a combat mission in Lyman, Mykhailo suffered a severe injury. While repairing equipment, the enemy dropped an air bomb, resulting in a critical traumatic brain injury. He was evacuated in critical condition to Sloviansk, then to Dnipro, Kyiv, and later to Ternopil. He spent three months in intensive care, fighting for his life.

Currently, Mykhailo is undergoing treatment at the Svyatenko Clinic, where doctors have managed to stabilize his condition. However, further recovery requires two surgical procedures:
‒    A shunt (SM8A-2010 SOPHY MINI SM8A with catheters B905S and B019-10) — costing 64,200 UAH.
‒    A custom titanium plate (cranial bone prosthesis) with self-tapping screws — costing 53,340 UAH.

While the surgeries themselves are free, the costs of the necessary materials fall on Mykhailo’s family and are beyond their financial means. These procedures will allow him to progress to the next stage of recovery and take a significant step toward returning to normal life.

Despite all the challenges, Mykhailo continues to fight for his life and dreams of returning to the work he has always been passionate about. He deserves the support of each and every one of us.

 

COLLECTED AND TRANSFERRED: UAH 117,540