Let's give the veteran a pain-free life back

"Before the war, I worked as a school teacher. My greatest dream is to return to teaching and once again be among children. My current suffering is the result of complications from a combat injury. It’s not just discomfort – it’s excruciating pain, reaching 9–10 out of 10 on the pain scale.

After 27 years of service, I retired. On March 1, 2022, I was mobilized and joined the defense of Ukraine. In 2023, we once again found ourselves in Donetsk region. This time, the battle for Bakhmut was underway. Naturally, my unit ended up in the epicenter of the fiercest fighting.

That’s where I was injured. I could almost always hear mortar launches and their flight – but not this one. As a result of the shrapnel impact, I sustained spinal injuries in the L3, L4, and L5 area. The fragments damaged the vertebrae and severed nerve roots.

I was evacuated under enemy fire to a stabilization point. Then to Dnipro: the first surgery lasted over 8 hours, the second more than 4. I was then transferred to Kyiv for 7 more surgeries – 5 on my spine, and 2 on my intestines.

My current suffering is the result of complications from the injury. It’s not just discomfort – it’s excruciating pain, reaching 9–10 out of 10 on the pain scale, causing dangerous spikes in blood pressure up to 160/130 and even 170/130.

Medications provide only partial and temporary relief. Even morphine, which is supposed to ease the pain, offers only a few hours of relative calm. Constant use of painkillers harms the body and does not solve the problem.

Today, I am forced to lie down 90% of the time – the unbearable pain prevents me from living an active life and undergoing full rehabilitation. Any physical effort triggers another attack, which can last for days. When the pain level exceeds 5, working with a rehabilitation specialist becomes impossible.

My greatest dream is to return to teaching and be among children again. But for now, that path is blocked by constant suffering.

To change this, I urgently need a neurostimulator – a special medical device that can help reduce the intensity of pain, decrease the need for painkillers, and allow me to be more active in recovery.

I fully understand the risk that the neurostimulator may not eliminate all the pain. But even partial relief will open the door to movement, life, and the realization of my dream.

My life now is a constant battle with pain. Together, we can change that. Please support me!".