Serhii Dudik took a stand for the defense of our country back in 2014. He was breaking out of the encirclement in Ilovaisk, Donetsk region with his fellow soldiers. And with the beginning of the full-scale invasion, he joined the 14th Mechanized Brigade named after Prince Roman the Great. In May 2022, the defender was seriously wounded in combat in the Luhansk region and lost his arm.
“I remember how we repelled an attack and fired back at the occupiers at our positions. It was near the village of Bilohorivka. While reloading the weapon, I noticed something was wrong with my arm and it was not working,” Serhii recalls.
Seeing the soldier was wounded, his comrades gave him first aid and applied a tourniquet. However, due to constant shelling by enemy aircraft, the man was unable to receive the necessary medical care quickly. His blood began to clot and by the time the medics arrived, his arm had already turned black and had to be amputated.
It was hard for Serhii to accept himself with the injury. But later, the defender received an offer to undergo prosthetics at the MCOP clinic in Washington, DC.
“The true mental relief I got was during prosthetics in the USA. I felt that life goes on! Since then, I have only pleasant memories,” says the defender.
Now Serhii has a high-quality prosthesis that helps him in everyday life. He can use it to pick up something, hold it, and twist it. And when a soldier wears long-sleeved clothes, people rarely realize it is a prosthesis.
The defender continues to train and practice motor skills and concentration exercises, as he has recently taken up a new hobby — archery! Serhii shoots with the help of his teeth and he is doing a great job! Rehabilitation has helped him not only to dream but also to make his dreams come true. Today our hero is actively preparing to represent his native Volyn region at the All-Ukrainian Archery Championship.
Serhii wants to inspire and motivate other people with amputations not to give up and not to lose faith in themselves in his example. He wants to prove that life after injury is bright, active, and full of exciting experiences!
We wish Serhii success in the competition and thank everyone who helps our heroes get a chance for a new life!
