Soldier Nazar Terletskyi

I am Nazar’s mother — Liubov.

I still remember that evening when the phone rang. The medic spoke calmly, but I could tell he was struggling to keep his voice steady. My son, soldier Nazar Terletskyi, had been severely wounded during a combat mission near Toretsk, Donetsk region. Artillery shelling, an explosion — and Nazar lay unconscious on the battlefield. He remained there for almost a full day until a fellow soldier managed to carry him out.

Blast trauma, severe brain contusion and compression, frontal bone fracture, massive hemorrhages, coma. Then — decompressive craniectomy and a complex surgery: resection of a hemorrhagic contusion and reconstruction of the meninges with autologous tissue. When I heard all that, I didn’t understand any of the medical terms — only one thing: my son was between life and death.

He was transferred to Vinnytsia, then to Lviv, and later to Drohobych, to the military hospital. Each new city felt like another chance. Nazar remained in a medically induced coma for four weeks. The doctors did everything they could, and I just sat beside him and prayed. I didn’t ask questions — I simply believed that God wouldn’t abandon us.

His wife was an enormous source of strength. She didn’t break. She stayed strong for him, for their little son. I’ll never forget the moment when the boy quietly said, “I asked Saint Nicholas to make Daddy open his eyes.” So sincerely, so simply — just like someone who truly believes that miracles happen.

And they did. Nazar began to move his fingers. Then opened one eye. Then the other. These were small steps, but for us — the beginning of a new life.

After all the surgeries, Nazar was left with serious consequences: impaired movement, coordination, and speech, weakness on the right side of his body, and memory problems. Doctors emphasize that he needs long-term specialized rehabilitation in a professional center. That’s why we turned to “AGAPE” — a rehabilitation center experienced in recovery after severe traumatic brain injuries.

Nazar has been through resuscitation, numerous complications — aspiration pneumonia, a gastrostomy, repeated surgeries. The medical documents state dryly: “unfit for military service.” But to me, it means one thing — he’s alive, though he still needs our support.

He served as a police officer with integrity. When the war began, he joined without hesitation. He said, “Someone has to hold this line.” Now that line is within him. We dream of just one thing — for Nazar to walk again, to speak, to hold his son in his arms.

To live — not merely survive after the war.

I’m asking for help. As a mother who watches her child fight for every movement, every word, every breath. Every donation, every kind thought — it’s a chance for Nazar to take his next step.

He survived where chances were almost nonexistent. Now I’ll do everything I can to help him return to a full life.
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The fundraiser for rehabilitation for the severely wounded defender Nazarii Terletskyi has been successfully closed. The defender has completed two courses of recovery. During the first course, specialists together with his family made an important decision that Nazarii needed to undergo a second rehabilitation course right away to consolidate and build on the results he had achieved.

This was only possible thanks to you. We sincerely thank everyone who joined the fundraiser, those who supported with donations, those who shared the information, those who wrote words of support and believed with us. Your participation was calm, humane, and incredibly powerful.

Special thanks to the Ukrainian Charity Exchange dobro.ua for partnership, trust, and transparency — for organizing the assistance quickly and making sure it reached exactly where it was critically needed.

We also sincerely thank the Telegram channel “Tsina Derzhavy” and all its readers — everyone who donated, supported this fundraiser, and helped Nazarii take an important step forward. Your support truly has value — the value of human recovery.

We thank the team of rehabilitation specialists for their daily, attentive, and professional work. Physical therapy sessions were aimed at improving balance and coordination, walking speed, endurance, and muscle strength. These goals were achieved. There are still minimal deviations in balance, but they are now insignificant.

Occupational therapy sessions helped increase the range of motion in the right shoulder joint, strength and endurance of the upper shoulder girdle, improve fine motor skills and functional use of the upper limbs. Nazarii demonstrates progress in engaging his right hand and has significantly reduced the need for assistance during self‑care.

During speech and language therapy sessions, his speech function improved. Nazarii understands about 80 percent of spoken language without delay, increasingly selects appropriate words in his own speech, has become familiar with alternative means of communication, and participated in activities for social integration visiting stores and dining places with moderate assistance.

All specialists note important changes. Nazarii has become more aware and independent. He can now spend half a day without constant supervision from his mother. What was completely impossible not long ago has become a reality today.

This is not the end of the road. It is its continuation. We believe in Nazarii’s ongoing recovery, in the power of systematic rehabilitation, and in the people who do not turn away.

Thank you for being with us.

 

COLLECTED AND TRANSFERRED: UAH 132,000