Soldier Oleksandr Kushch, call sign KOSTOPRAV

My name is Kushch Oleksandr. My call sign is KOSTOPRAV, although almost all my fellow soldiers simply call me DOK.

I am 27 years old. Since August 2024 I have been serving under contract as a medic of the 36th Road Construction and Rehabilitation Brigade. I am a combat veteran, a Group III war invalid, but I remain an active serviceman to this day.

When the war began, each of us made our own choice. My choice was to save lives. Under shelling, under drone attacks, in places where every second counts, I carried out my work, because I knew: someone was waiting for help right now.

While carrying out a combat mission in the Kherson direction, I had to jump into a revetment from a height of approximately two meters in order to hide from an FPV drone. The drone exploded just a few meters away from me. That day I managed to survive, but my fellow soldier was wounded. We provided him with timely assistance.

After that jump, doctors diagnosed me with a meniscus tear and incomplete tears of two cruciate ligaments of the left knee joint. I underwent surgery, completed rehabilitation, and returned to service.

But the trials did not end there.

During another combat mission, a threat of a strike by guided aerial bombs arose. Running into shelter, I put more load on my right leg in order to protect the injured left knee. At that moment I felt a strong crunch in my right hip joint and a sharp pain.

During my leave, I consulted an orthopedist and underwent an MRI. The results came as a heavy blow to me. It turned out that during that same jump, the greatest load had fallen on both hip joints. Doctors established the diagnosis — necrosis of both femoral heads: on the left — degree II, on the right — degree III with an impaction fracture.

Despite the pain, I continued my service.

Today the disease has progressed. On the left it is already degree III, on the right — degree IV. The only chance to return to a full life is total endoprosthetic replacement of both hip joints.

The surgery itself is free of charge for me. But it is necessary to independently purchase two high-quality hip joint endoprostheses that will last for many decades and will allow me not to think about repeat surgeries at such a young age. For me these are not simply medical devices. This is a chance to walk again without constant pain, to return to an active life and to the work I love. That is why I am compelled to ask for help.

The hardest thing for me is not even the pain. The hardest thing is realizing that without this surgery I will not be able to return to the work that is the meaning of my life.

Before the war I worked as a physical therapist and rehabilitation specialist. I know very well how important proper recovery is after severe injuries. That is why my greatest dream is not simply to walk again without pain. I want to return to my profession and help our defenders recover — those who every day go through difficult trials.

 

COLLECTING: UAH 224,000