Soldier Serhii Kolomiiets, callsign VOVK

My name is Liudmyla Ohorodnia, and I am the wife of serviceman Serhii Kolomiiets, callsign VOVK. Today, I am reaching out to all kind-hearted people, asking for help — to give my husband a chance to live a full life again.

When the full-scale invasion began on February 24, 2022, Serhii was working as a mechanic-driver at a dairy factory. But, just like our son — who has been defending Ukraine since 2014 — Serhii couldn’t stay aside. By April 2022, he had volunteered to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Although Serhii had never served before, he completed training in Lviv and was assigned to the 93rd Separate Mechanized Brigade “Kholodnyi Yar.” His combat path began in the Kharkiv region — from May to August 2022. Then came fierce battles near Bakhmut. It was there that Serhii sustained his first injuries — shrapnel wounds to his arm, a concussion, and partial vision loss.

After treatment, he returned to service. He served in Chasiv Yar, then in Kostiantynivka, and later in Druzhkivka. The effects of the concussion lingered, but he never complained. Even after receiving the third disability group, he told me, “I can’t stay home while the guys are out there.” And he went back to his unit again.

But June 19, 2025, became the day that changed our lives forever.

That evening, after his shift, Serhii was returning to rest when he suddenly felt dizzy and fell down the stairs. The next morning, I couldn’t reach him. Only at 2 p.m. did I learn from his comrade’s wife that Serhii was in the hospital. When he regained consciousness, he asked the medical staff to call me. He said only one thing:

“Liuda, I’m in Dnipro, at Mechnikov Hospital. Everything will be fine…”

At that moment, I didn’t yet know how serious his injuries were. After his condition stabilized in Dnipro, he was transferred first to Vinnytsia, and later to Lviv.
The diagnosis is terrifying: a cervical spine injury, tetraparesis. My Serhii cannot feel his legs or arms. He cannot move on his own.

From the first day, I have been by his side. Together we fight for every movement, every glimmer of hope, for his life. Doctors say there is a chance — but it requires long-term specialized rehabilitation at the Agape Center (Lutsk), where some of the best specialists work with spinal injury patients.

However, the cost of rehabilitation is unbearable for our family. That’s why I am asking for help — to give Serhii a chance to start his recovery at this specialized center. Serhii is a true warrior. He gave his health for Ukraine, for our safety. Now I ask for help so that he can win this hardest battle.

Every hryvnia is faith in a second chance for our defender.
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The fundraiser for the severely wounded defender Serhii Kolomiiets is now CLOSED.

Friends, we thank each of you who contributed to the fundraiser — the rehabilitation course at the “AGAPE” center has been fully paid for, and Serhii is already undergoing intensive recovery.

Your support — donations, shares, kind words — made this possible.
We also express our deep gratitude to the rehabilitation team at “AGAPE” for their professionalism, daily work, and attentive care for Serhii.

The specialists shared an update on his rehabilitation progress.

Occupational Therapy:

• The therapist is working on gradually increasing passive range of motion in his shoulders and elbows. Pain in the shoulder has already decreased — from 8/10 down to 5/10.
• There is observable contraction of certain muscles and the onset of minimal active movements in his arms. Range of motion is slowly increasing (before rehabilitation, shoulder flexion and abduction were limited to 90°).
• Rhythmic mobilization of shoulder joints and shoulder blades is ongoing. There are no dramatic rapid changes yet — which is natural given the severity of the injury — but the trend remains steadily positive.

Physical Therapy:

• Work continues to increase passive range of motion in the lower limbs to prevent contractures. Relatives have been taught how to perform these exercises correctly at home.
• His tolerance for vertical positioning is improving; manifestations of orthostatic hypotension are decreasing. There is a small but noticeable positive trend in movement and sensitivity of the left lower limb.
• Serhii practices sitting with support on his arms — this helps restore body control and improves stability.

A long path of recovery lies ahead, but the process has already started. We believe in Serhii, we support him at every step, and we thank you for standing by his side.

 

 

COLLECTED AND TRANSFERRED: UAH 147,000

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The foundation was approached by Liudmyla with a request to help her husband — Ukrainian defender Serhii Kolomiiets — undergo an additional intensive rehabilitation course at the “AGAPE” center.

Serhii sustained an extremely severe closed spinal cord injury, the consequences of which have radically changed his life. Today he requires complete assistance with all types of functional mobility. Due to the severity of the injury, Serhii has balance impairments, cannot sit independently without back support, use a wheelchair, or operate its components. He also requires constant assistance in daily life: during dressing, washing, personal hygiene, eating, and other basic self-care skills.

Understanding the complexity of the situation and the necessity of continuous recovery, the foundation made the decision to provide Serhii with an additional rehabilitation course at the “AGAPE” center, together with his wife’s accompaniment.

Serhii completed this rehabilitation course within the framework of the project “Support for Families of Veterans with Disabilities. Recovery and Rehabilitation,” implemented by the Citizen Charity Foundation with the support of the “Capable and Strong” program, carried out by the East Europe Foundation with the assistance of Switzerland.

The rehabilitation program included sessions with a physical therapist and occupational therapist and consisted of the following areas of work:

• verticalization program;
• therapeutic exercises;
• functional training;
• balance and coordination training;
• endurance and muscle strength training;
• gym sessions;
• prolonged stretching.

The physical therapy sessions were aimed at improving balance and coordination, strengthening muscles, and increasing overall endurance. Occupational therapy helped to increase the range of motion in the shoulder joints and build strength and endurance of the upper shoulder girdle.

According to the rehabilitation specialists, the results remain minimal so far; however, for injuries of this level, even small changes are of extraordinary importance. Serhii has developed minimal active movements during dorsal and plantar flexion of the feet, as well as in hip abduction and adduction. In addition, he is already practicing static sitting without back support.

A distinctive feature of the program was that support was received not only by the veteran himself, but also by his wife Liudmyla, who cares for her husband every day. Within the framework of the program, she underwent a number of consultations regarding the organization of daily life at home, the selection of a wheelchair, and the specifics of caring for a person with a severe spinal cord injury.

The specialists trained the family in proper repositioning in bed, performing catheterization, care during physiological needs, performing passive movements for the joints, and also provided recommendations regarding actions during urinary tract infection flare-ups.

The family received comprehensive knowledge regarding the home rehabilitation program, muscle stretching exercises, correct body positioning, safe stair ascent and descent, static sitting techniques with legs lowered, the use of a sliding sheet for repositioning in bed, balanced nutrition, and daily care. An appropriate wheelchair was also selected.

Ahead of Serhii lies a still lengthy path of recovery. But today the most important thing is present — forward movement and faith.

As Liudmyla shares:

“Serhii has begun verticalization. He can already sit without support for 4–5 minutes. And he is gradually beginning to move his arms. There is progress. Yes, it is slow. But given that we were not given any prognosis at all, for us this is already a victory. We do not stop. We continue the recovery.”

And we continue this path together with Serhii’s family. Step by step. Toward new achievements, new movements, and new victories.

 

COLLECTED AND TRANSFERRED: UAH 75,500

TOTAL COLLECTED AND TRANSFERRED: UAH 222,500