Soldier Anatolii Khmil, call sign KANO

I was born in 1983 and have been a contract serviceman since October 2021.

Until 2024, I served in the city of Marhanets, and later transferred to combat military unit A4820. Like thousands of Ukrainian defenders, I simply did my job — held positions so that the war would not come even closer to our homes.

On April 2, 2025, while at a position in Donetsk Oblast, I sustained a severe spinal injury. After that, I was sent to a military hospital in Dnipro. I underwent treatment, rehabilitation, endured pain, and believed that I would be able to return to normal life and service. But no improvement came.

In June 2025, during a Military Medical Commission examination, doctors discovered a spinal hernia at the L4–L5 level. A complex surgery was recommended, along with the installation of a transpedicular spinal system (TPS), which was meant to stabilize the damaged spine and provide a chance for recovery.

However, due to a sharp deterioration in my health, while in Mykolaiv Oblast, I agreed to the surgery without the installation of the TPS. On August 21, 2025, I was operated on at the 4th City Hospital in Dnipro.

I very much wanted to believe that this would be enough.

But already on the 20th day after the surgery, I was struck again by severe pain. I was admitted for treatment at the Marhanets City Hospital. During a repeated Military Medical Commission examination, the worst became known — a hernia recurrence had occurred, and further treatment without the installation of the TPS is no longer possible.

Today I continue to serve in the combat unit. Even despite the restrictions imposed by the Military Medical Commission in Zaporizhzhia, and constant back pain. Because war does not put life on pause. It continues every day — very close by.

Today I am compelled to ask for help. To carry out the necessary treatment and stabilize the spine, a set of implants for the transpedicular system is required. I am unable to pay for it on my own.

This system is my chance to avoid disability. A chance to move normally again. A chance to live without constant pain.

Thank you to everyone who does not walk past.

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The fundraiser for the purchase of the implant set for the transpedicular system for defender Anatolii Khmil has been successfully closed!

Thanks to your support, the implants were purchased and the surgery has already been successfully performed.

We sincerely thank everyone who joined the fundraiser: supported with a donation, shared the information, or simply said a kind word. Every contribution became part of this great cause.

Special gratitude to our friends and reliable partners British-Ukrainian Aid for their support, trust, and assistance, as well as to the team of doctors and specialists who performed the surgery and are helping Anatolii on his path to recovery.

Recovery still lies ahead, but the most important step has already been taken. We believe that thanks to your support, Anatolii will be able to return to a full life without pain.

Thank you to everyone who was by our side. Together we prove that goodness and caring are capable of changing human destinies.

 

COLLECTED AND TRANSFERRED: UAH 60,000