Soldier Oleksandr, call sign KOZAK

I served in the 25th Airborne Brigade, a career officer. During the liberation of Nyzhnia Krynka from the enemy on August 24th, 2014, I sustained an amputation of my lower limb after we were shelled by Grad MLRS...

On the Independence Day of 2014, which I remember as if it were happening now, we talked with a friend: there are celebrations in Kyiv, it would be interesting to see what kind of parade there is. And just a few minutes later, Grad rockets started exploding in front of us. It was not clear where they were coming from. That was how they congratulated us on the holiday. I fell down to the ground and automatically crawled under a car. I got underneath and laid down. In such moments you start thinking quickly, and time seems to stop. I began to realize that I was lying under a car with full tanks of gasoline: "If a shrapnel hits it, this will turn out to be my grave. And the trench is no more than three meters away". I decided to swiftly run these three meters. I was already diving into the trench, like a pike, but I didn't make it. I felt a strong, blunt blow to my leg from behind. I fell to the bottom of the trench, rolled over on my back, lifted my leg, and my leg was hanging off my trousers. Some tendon was still there, because I tried to move my toes - and two toes moved.

Then, due to the exceeded period of tourniquet application (they could not take me out of the area to the hospital for a long time), they amputated the leg above the knee because there was a threat of gangrene.

After the treatment, at my personal request, I remained in the military service because I felt that I had not yet accomplished all that I had to do. I have been serving on a prosthesis for almost nine years. The role requires constant mobility - communication with the district authorities, supplies for our combat units and organization of work and service within the team.

After the full-scale invasion, I practically did not sit down for the first month. And this is all thanks to the skillful work of the team of my prosthetist, Oleksandr Pavlovych Stetsenko, who provided me with a prosthesis of increased functionality and reliability. The loads on the prosthesis are almost equal compared to the remaining leg. During the day, I run 10-20 times to the fourth floor, where my workplace is. I travel to the forest and steppe to visit the guys, where I can move independently.

But the lifespan of this prosthesis is running out and I need a replacement. I would like to get the same one, because thanks to it, I perform my tasks accurately, on the same level as my colleagues do. Unfortunately, I still need to work in this direction, because I do not want to stand aside at this crucial time.  

However, the state funds are insufficient for a new prosthesis. Therefore, in order to get a proper foot and knee, I need to pay extra at the expense of charity finances.

I will be grateful to everyone for their help for me!

 

COLLECTED AND TRANSFERRED: UAH 172,969.04