Soldier Andrii Sarabryn, callsign HALYCHYNA

My husband is Andrii Sarabryn, callsign HALYCHYNA.
He is my world. My rock. A father to our children and a source of pride for them. A man of honor who couldn’t stand by when war came to our land. In January 2023, Andrii voluntarily joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He didn’t need any explanation — he knew right away that he had to defend his country.

He served as a mortar commander in the 82nd Separate Air Assault Brigade. He went through hellish deployments — in Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, and even the Kursk region of russia. For defending Kharkiv region, he was awarded a commendation by the President of Ukraine. I always felt that a true Warrior stood behind us. And even when I was afraid, I believed — he would return.

But on September 3, 2024, our world turned upside down.
During a combat mission near the village of Olhivka, in enemy territory, Andrii was wounded by a landmine explosion. It was a blast injury that led to:

• an open traumatic brain injury,
• shrapnel wounds to both thighs and the buttock,
• five days in a coma,
• three major surgeries,
• deep right-sided hemiparesis — he is learning to walk again, but his right arm still doesn’t function,
• sensorimotor aphasia — Andrii lost the ability to speak and is now relearning how to pronounce each word,
• bilateral hearing loss — he now uses hearing aids,

And a metal fragment measuring 12×7 mm still remains in his head.

I will never forget how the doctors at the Sumy Regional Hospital told me — there was almost no chance. But my Andrii survived. And now, despite everything, he’s fighting for every movement, every word, every step.

He remembers everything. He can read, count, joke — even if sometimes it’s only with his eyes. Every day, he becomes a little more independent. He’s learning to walk without a cane. He’s working to regain movement in his arm. Right now, what we have is hope — and a dream.

My husband’s dream is to once again be a support for our family. To no longer depend on anyone. To recover enough to hug our children — and simply… live.

But we can’t manage this alone. That’s why we are turning for help.

Andrii urgently needs long-term specialized rehabilitation at the Western Rehabilitation and Sports Center of the National Committee for Sports of Persons with Disabilities of Ukraine (NKSIU). We’ve seen for ourselves — that’s where they can give Andrii a real chance. That’s where they can help him stand on his feet again — both literally and figuratively.

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The fundraiser for Andriy is officially closed!

Three rehabilitation courses for Andrii have already been paid for — two of them successfully completed, and one more still ahead.

Andrii works every day on himself, on his body, and on his dream of a full life. We have excellent results, which the rehabilitation specialists have shared.

Rehabilitation goals:
– improvement of strength, endurance, and coordination
– enhancement of walking and stimulation of arm recovery — achieved

Progress based on test results:

• 6‑minute walk test: was 195 m — now 297 m
• “Timed Up and Go” test: was 16.6 s — now 10 s
• 10 m walk: was 14.6 s — now 10 s
• Balance (Berg Balance Scale): was 49 — now 50 out of 56

We thank everyone for donations, reposts, support, and words of faith.
Special thanks to the incredible team of specialists at the rehabilitation center for their hands, hearts, and professionalism.

Ahead another rehabilitation course and a long road to recovery. But we already know: the impossible becomes possible when support is with you.

Oleksandr’s rehabilitation course was funded under the “CYBORGS REHABILITATION 2.0” program with the support of the Canada‑Ukraine Foundation and the National Congress of Ukrainian Canadians (UCC).

We thank our partners for their trust and for the opportunity to help our defenders.

 

COLLECTED AND TRANSFERRED: UAH 270,000