Soldier Hryhorii Slipachuk, callsign ANTENNA

My name is Nataliia, and I am the wife of soldier Hryhorii Slipachuk, callsign Antenna. In March 2025, my husband was mobilized into the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and without hesitation, he stood up to defend our land.
Hryhorii served in the 3rd Separate Iron Tank Brigade, in the second rifle battalion, military unit A2573.

By June, he was already on the Kharkiv front. On June 30, during a firefight in the afternoon, my husband was severely wounded. Shrapnel hit his head, causing an open traumatic brain injury with brain damage.

After the injury, Hryhorii underwent his first surgery in Kharkiv. Then, he was transported by evacuation train to Lviv, to the Military Medical Clinical Center of the Western Region, where he underwent a second surgery. The doctors literally pulled him back from the brink of death.

Now Hryhorii is alive — and that alone is a miracle.

But his condition is serious. As a result of the injury and a subsequent stroke, the entire right side of his body is paralyzed. He cannot feel or move his right arm and leg, and he is unable to move independently.

After his condition stabilized, he was transferred to a rehabilitation ward, and later to the neurosurgery department for cranioplasty (restoration of skull integrity).

Ahead lies a long and exhausting journey. Doctors say there is a chance, but he needs specialized rehabilitation at the Western Rehabilitation and Sports Center of the NSIU, where the best specialists work with patients who have suffered severe brain injuries.

Unfortunately, the cost of treatment is beyond what our family can afford. We have no means to pay for the full rehabilitation course that could give Hryhorii a chance to regain movement, speech, and his life.

That is why I am asking for help — to give him the opportunity to stand up again, to walk on his own, to hug me, and most importantly — to visit his mother. She suffers from dementia and cannot understand what happened or where her son is. She calls out for him all day and feels hurt that Hryhorii does not come. Her voice hurts as much as his wound. And my husband’s greatest dream is to go to her, hug her, and say: “Mom, I’m alive.”

I believe that together, we can help him stand on his feet again.

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The fundraiser for defender Hryhorii Slipachuk is now CLOSED. The rehabilitation course has been completed.

Friends, the foundation team extends heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported this severely wounded defender. Your donations, shares, and kind words made a real difference. The rehabilitation was fully paid for, the course completed successfully, and Hryhorii is already showing measurable results.

The focus of the rehabilitation was to improve independent walking using a personalized AFO orthosis, increase strength, endurance, and overall tolerance to physical activity.

The goals have been achieved. Hryhorii’s main test results are inspiring:

  • «Get up and go»: 27.4 sec → 17.3 sec
  • 10-meter walk: 0.45 m/s → 0.52 m/s
  • 6-minute walk: 105 m → 141 m
  • Berg Balance Scale: 44 → 45 points
  • Dynamic Gait Index: 12 → 14 points
  • Barthel Index: 80 → 90

Step by step, Hryhorii is regaining control over his movements, confidence, and endurance.

Comment from the head physical therapist at the «Western Rehabilitation and Sports Center" of NCSIU:

«Hryhorii diligently worked through every stage of the program and achieved significant progress in both the speed and quality of his gait. We recommend continuing rehabilitation at his place of residence and consulting an orthotist to have a new, personalized AFO brace made. His potential for further recovery is unquestionable».

We thank:

  • everyone who supported Hryhorii through donations or shares;
  • the team of specialists at the Western Rehabilitation and Sports Center for their professionalism and care;
  • all those who continue to believe in his recovery.

The road ahead includes continued adaptation and rehabilitation, but most importantly: Hryhorii is confidently moving forward.
We stand with him and will continue to support him on this journey.

Hryhorii’s rehabilitation course was funded under the «CYBORGS REHABILITATION 2.0» program with the support of the Canada-Ukraine Foundation and UCC National – Ukrainian Canadian Congress.

 

COLLECTED AND TRANSFERRED: UAH 90,000