The Hero needs rehabilitation

"Maksym Bereziuk, callsign Masiania, is my son – my pride. But now, he is not fighting on the front lines. Now he is fighting for life, for every new movement, for every word. And I am asking for help, because we cannot manage this on our own…

On the first day of the full-scale invasion, Maksym didn’t say a word to me. He just sent a photo of himself standing in line at the military enlistment office. I understood everything without words. That was the beginning of his path through war. He joined the Territorial Defense Forces, and later was mobilized into the Armed Forces of Ukraine. A sapper. A tough job, on the hottest fronts. Avdiivka, where he received a commendation from the President. No rotations for two years. He had injuries, cardiac arrest, two leg surgeries – but each time he returned to the front lines. Because his place was beside his brothers-in-arms.

But everything changed on February 7, 2024. During a combat mission near Oleksandropil in Donetsk region, a Russian drone hit the vehicle my son was in.

The fact that he survived such a wound is a miracle. Blast injury, severe traumatic brain injury, shrapnel wounds to the head, face, chest, and limbs. Stroke. Paralysis of the right side of the body. Loss of speech. Epilepsy.

Maksym has already undergone five complex surgeries. His body and brain fight through pain and exhaustion every day just to take one more step, to say one more word. Today he can already count, name the days of the week. He is learning to walk again. Learning to live again.

We have already come a long way and know the road ahead will be even harder. But he does not give up. Every day in his physical, speech, and occupational therapy sessions, he gives it his all. Under supervision, he is slowly starting to move on his own, cook meals, get dressed. He is learning to be independent.

But to continue this progress, Maksym needs long-term, specialized rehabilitation. His next hope is the Western Rehabilitation and Sports Center of the NSCDU. This place gives a real chance at a full life, but the cost of recovery is unbearable for our family.

So we are forced to ask for help from donors. Every donation is one more day my son continues to fight. One more chance that he will speak freely again. One more step toward a life without pain and dependence.

Maksym is not just my son. He is a man who defended each of us for two years without pause. Now he needs our protection", Maksym's mother.