Fundraising for a wounded veteran

In the fighting near Maryinka, Roman was seriously wounded, resulting in the amputation of 3 limbs, vision and hearing problems. To live a safe and comfortable life, he needs hearing aids, a tablet, and a liner for his prosthesis.

"My name is Roman Maksymets, originally from Lviv region. After my mandatory military service, I went abroad to work, but eventually returned home, and in 2015, I took up arms to defend my homeland. How could I not? When an enemy invades your home, you can't just stand by and do nothing.

I joined the "Donbas Ukraine" battalion through mobilization. I was a sapper responsible for engineering preparation during combat missions. I was immediately given the call sign SPANIARD because before my service, I had worked in construction in Italy and Spain. My service took me to some of the hottest spots in Donbas, and on July 6, 2016, I was severely wounded during battles in Maryinka.

I don’t remember much about that day. I suffered multiple gunshot wounds, then a shell exploded nearby, and as I crawled away, I hit a tripwire. I know for certain that my life was saved by my bulletproof vest, but my right arm and leg were torn off, and the foot on my left leg was shattered by shrapnel. My left eye was filled with tiny fragments, leaving it burned, and my right eye also damaged. My eardrums were also ruptured.

I didn’t die from blood loss only because the high heat sealed the blood vessels in my limbs.

My comrades couldn’t immediately evacuate me to Kurakhove because of intense enemy fire. From there, medics in Dnipro fought for my life, and two weeks later, I was flown to a hospital in Odesa, where I regained consciousness.

In total, I underwent 12 surgeries. I know they used a lot of blood transfusions on me. They operated on my leg (it was torn off below the knee, but doctors had to re-amputate above the knee), amputated my foot, operated on my arm (which was torn off just below the elbow), then removed my eye (and later fitted an implant), replaced the lens in my right eye (due to vision loss down to 20%), and performed several surgeries on my nose (due to bone displacement) and ears.

I’m now raising four children and actively engaged in public service. Volunteers, doctors, and rehabilitation specialists often ask me to provide moral support to severely wounded soldiers. I visit them in hospitals and rehab centers, showing them by example that amputations are not the end! Soldiers often ask how long it took me to recover, if I experienced phantom pain, and where and what types of prosthetics I ordered.

After my treatment, I went through a challenging adjustment process to my new life and now share my experience with others. I received mechanical prosthetics funded by the state. In 2017, I traveled abroad through a government program to receive my first bionic arm and an electronic knee prosthesis. This prosthesis has served me for over seven years. My rehabilitation journey was not easy, but I always believed in my abilities. Thanks to modern prostheses, hearing aids and other devices, I returned to an active life. However, all these devices have a limited resource and eventually need to be replaced.

Currently, I need to replace my hearing aids, tablet and purchase an additional liner, namely:

1. Phonak Naida L50 UP hearing aids (with earmolds and batteries). Damage to the eardrums led to significant hearing loss. Phonak Naida L50 UP hearing aids are super-powerful behind-the-ear models equipped with artificial intelligence and built-in Bluetooth, which allows you to connect to any devices with Bluetooth technology and wirelessly connect to accessories. The cost of such a device in Ukraine is approximately 45,000 UAH.

2. Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Tablet. Due to vision problems (one eye is prosthetic, the other has 20% vision), I need a device with a large and clear screen for communication and other everyday tasks. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE tablet is equipped with a 10.9-inch TFT display with a resolution of 2304x1440 pixels, which provides a clear image and comfort during use. The cost of such a model is about 24,999 UAH.

3. Silicone insert for a prosthesis. After amputation of limbs, the use of high-quality prostheses is critically important for comfort and mobility. Silicone inserts provide better fixation of the prosthesis, reduce pressure on the skin and prevent irritation.

All these tools will improve the quality of my life, allow you to freely communicate, communicate and maintain active social activities".