“I believe life goes on”: Story of Ukrainian defender who lost his leg and eyesight due to serious injury at the front

Andrii Sydorenko, a 47-year-old Lviv resident, has left his safe life abroad and voluntarily enlisted in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The man sustained a severe mine-blast injury that resulted in the loss of his eyesight and left leg. Source: UNBROKEN rehabilitation centre

Details: Andrii worked abroad with his wife for all his adult life. In January 2024, the man joined the army and served as a medic and rifleman in the 24th Separate Mechanised Brigade named after King Danylo.

Six months later, in July, a Russian munition exploded right in front of Andrii, and its fragments hit his head, limbs and stomach. He was instantly blinded and had to find his way out of the battlefield by touch.

"In the summer, we were supposed to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary, and he promised to come on vacation," the defender's wife said. "But instead of Andrii's call, I received the news that my husband had been wounded. That day, I had had trouble breathing; I felt that something was wrong. But when I found out that he was alive, I prayed to meet him as soon as possible."

Since then, the man has undergone 13 operations, including on his abdomen and limbs.

The surgeons had to amputate Andrii's left leg at the level of the upper third of the shin. "Our prosthetists have already made an artificial limb for the patient, and he is learning to walk on it. It is not easy.

After all, Andrii is completely blind. He has physically lost one eye, which was replaced by our ophthalmologists. And the other one, although still there, has lost its vision - the optic nerve is irreversibly damaged," the UNBROKEN centre says.

Currently, Andrii is working with physical and occupational therapists who are helping him learn how to use a cane for the visually impaired and navigate in space.

Andrii works with physical and occupational therapists.Photo: UNBROKEN

The defender himself admits that despite the fact that he cannot see the beauty around him, he wants to go outdoors and smell the trees and hear the sound of the river. "I believe that life goes on and I will be able to adapt to my new circumstances. And I have my wife by my side.

She is always by my side and holds my hand. We have two children. My son, like a real man, has become our support, and my daughter helps at home," says Andrii.

Background: Earlier, Ukrainska Pravda told the story of 25-year-old chorister Yaroslav Makar, who voluntarily joined the Armed Forces and lost his leg at the front.

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