Soldier Mykhailo Yurchuk, call sign STALKER
I come from the Khmelnytskyi region. After school I worked at a glass factory and a furniture factory. At the age of 26, I decided to become a professional soldier.
Since childhood, I dreamed of becoming a soldier. For me, it's about honor and duty. First, I served in the missile brigade being a rocket operator. Then I went to the military college of the sergeant's staff and finally ended up in the landing brigade.
When the full-scale war began, I served in Donbas. Then the brigade was moved to Kharkiv region. That's where I got wounded.
It was an ordinary day, a cold morning. I slept after the night shift and woke up by massive shelling. A tank unit in the amount of 16 tanks came out on us. Our armored personnel carrier (APC) was hit before my eyes and I ran to help pull the guys out. I didn't make it, there were about 7 meters left. There was the whistling of shells, explosions, and darkness... I wiped my eyes from the ground and saw that there was a bare bone in place of my hand. I thought that I should see what happened to my legs, and whether I would be able to move. I saw that the leg was badly crushed. I thought I was going to die. But as I lay there, I realized that I was not dying yet.
At that moment, I thought that death was better than being limbless. I took out a grenade and wanted to blow myself up. I asked my friends to step back, but they said: "No, if you want, come with us." So I put the grenade away.
My brothers saved me and dragged me through hell. I told them many times, to leave me somewhere between the houses, and come back if I'm alive. But they did not leave and dragged. Shells were exploding near us, but they did not panic and evacuated me in time. I am grateful to my comrades and I have no right to let them down. Then I realized that I had to live on because they risked their lives for a reason.
I was given first aid and taken to the hospital. A leg was amputated there. Then they transferred to another medical facility, where the general condition was stabilized.
I remember waking up after anesthesia, seeing the bandaged limbs, and realizing that it was not a dream. I have seen soldiers without limbs before. I was proud of their fortitude, but I thought I couldn't live with it. But over time, I had to rethink my life and values.
First, I was fitted with a prosthetic leg.
To be honest, I was afraid of prosthetics and worried that it would be difficult for me to control the artificial limb. And when I stepped on my foot, it was the moment of truth! I realized that I could walk and it was such a thrill, like my first parachute jump. It lifted my spirits.
I mastered the prosthesis quite quickly. Adapted to new realities. Now I lead an active lifestyle, I try different types of sports. I am raising two daughters, the younger one was recently born.
According to the state program, it was time for me to change my hip prosthesis. Given the daily activity, I need a more functional device with an electronically controlled knee joint and a prosthetic upper limb, for which the money allocated by the government is not enough.
I like recovering lost opportunities. I consider myself lucky no matter what. When there are comfortable prostheses, a person returns to a normal life. The new functional prosthesis will expand my possibilities both in everyday life and in professional activities. I dream now to travel, do sports, and enjoy family life and parenthood.
Mykhailo has already received and is actively using a C-Leg 4 modular hip prosthesis with an electronically controlled knee unit for his right limb. In early June, the process of prosthetics on his upper left limb is to be completed.
Modern prostheses allow STALKER to lead the active lifestyle he was used to before his injury - playing sports, travelling, and raising his two young daughters.
We would like to thank the London Marathon 2024 team and our partner charity British-Ukrainian Aid organization for raising funds for the prosthetics for Mykhailo Iurchuk, call sign STALKER.
You can support other fundraisers for the wounded on the website of the Citizen Foundation - https://ctzn24.com/en/heroes
or on the website of the London Marathon:
- https://2024tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/oleksii--rudenko
- https://2024tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/heorhii-roshka
- https://2024tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/viacheslav-kulakovskyi
COLLECTED AND TRANSFERRED: UAH 409,040.23