Ukraine: wounded in an air strike, Oleksandr learns to walk again thanks to HI support

Oleksandr Shukalovych, 34, lived what he calls a "simple life” with his wife, Victoria, and their three children - Mikhail (14), Natalia (13), and Alexander (2). He worked as a plumber in a factory in the Mykolaiv region. But in August 2022, war turned his life upside down.

A family visit turned tragic

That Sunday, Oleksandr went to the village of Kotliarivka, around twelve miles from Mykolaiv, to help his parents in their garden. Within seconds, chaos ensued:

“There was this air strike. My father had the reflex to throw himself to the ground. I didn't have the time," he remembers.

A projectile exploded nearby. Oleksandr was seriously injured in the shoulder and right lung. A piece of metal lodged between two vertebrae and in critical condition, he lost consciousness. His father and a neighbour carried him to the road, where they met paramedics and he was evacuated to a health facility in Mykolaiv.

At the hospital, Oleksandr underwent two emergency operations. Part of his right lung was removed, and metal was extracted from his spine. The verdict was in: his legs were paralyzed.

“I thought I was living my last moments. I said goodbye to my father.”

The start of a long rehabilitation journey

After a month in the hospital, his recovery was slowed by pneumonia. But Oleksandr hung in there. He began a rehabilitation phase, undergoing various therapies to try and regain some of his mobility.

It was during this period that he came into contact with HI. Kateryna Hrushenko, a social worker for the NGO, organized personalized care: rehabilitation sessions, assistive equipment, etc., and Oleksandr was closely monitored by the team. HI also provided him with a bath seat and has accompanied him in his rehabilitation for 2 years now. Our teams also teach him to repeat the exercises himself with his family between sessions. Today, Oleksandr's main hope is that the war will come to an end. "Before, we had plans. Now we live from day to day."

“My wife, my children, my parents... They support me all the way. I have a goal, and I'll do anything to achieve it. I'm not giving up.”