Rehabilitation of a veteran after a complex injury

A veteran of the Special Forces needs rehabilitation. Andrii was seriously injured in a mortar attack near Bakhmut: head and limb injuries, and he underwent dozens of surgeries. Despite this, he has maintained his determination and dreams of walking without pain again.

"My name is Andrii Kurylo, callsign MEKHAN – short for "mechanic-driver". Though, truth be told, I didn’t have time to actually drive the vehicle – there simply wasn’t the chance. I’m a car mechanic by trade. I love what I do – before the war, I repaired cars, and I dream of going back to it.

I volunteered for the military in March 2023. I served in the 23rd Separate Battalion of the Special Operations Forces of the Presidential Brigade named after Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytskyi. I just couldn’t stay home while others were holding the front. I wanted to be useful.

I was wounded near Bakhmut, in the area of the village of Ivanivske, on the Chasiv Yar axis.

It happened suddenly. I didn’t hear the explosion – I just felt like something hit me from behind and knocked me down. I tried to get up but couldn’t – it felt like someone was standing on my back. Blood was pouring from all my limbs, even from under my helmet. But my radio was still on me – securely fastened. I tried to call for help. ZOLOTOY, a fellow soldier I trained with, heard me. He ran over and applied four tourniquets – all my limbs were shredded. He also bandaged my head. I tried to help him with my right arm – the only one that still responded. Thankfully, we had been trained in first aid. That knowledge saved my life.

The guys carried me out. I remember everything.

How they carried me. Their eyes. Their hands. Their bravery.

I was partially paralyzed. I could barely move. Now things are better.

I can sit up in bed on my own, transfer into my wheelchair, wash myself, use the bathroom, even make it to the store. But it’s not enough.

My main goal is to walk again. Not to prove anything to anyone – but to get my life back, to fix cars again. That’s my craft, my dream, my skill.

For that, I need specialized rehabilitation at the Western Rehabilitation and Sports Center of NCSIU. It’s a professional facility that works with injuries like mine. There, I have a real shot at getting back on my feet. But the rehabilitation is long and expensive. I won’t be able to do it without support.

I know there’s still a lot of pain, effort, and patience ahead. But I won’t give up.
Because I’m alive.
Because I have a craft I love.
Because my loved ones are by my side", Andrii notes.