"My dream came true": Seriously wounded Svitlana from Nikopol receives rehabilitation support from the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation
At the end of 2024, an ordinary working day ended in tragedy for Svitlana. She worked as a vendor at a market in Nikopol when a russian drone struck. She was taken to hospital in critical condition. Due to multiple shrapnel wounds, doctors amputated her left leg. After the surgeries, Svitlana was bedridden for four months because she had also sustained a severe fracture of her right leg. Recently, she completed a rehabilitation course organised by the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation at a health resort in Zakarpattia. It became an important stage in her recovery.
"I am grateful to the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation for giving us this opportunity to receive treatment and undergo rehabilitation. We had a chance to rest, both physically and emotionally, as they say. I had always wanted to go to the mountains, to see them, and my dream came true," says Svitlana.
The woman says she had always felt safe at the central market in Nikopol, where she worked. But during an attack by a russian FPV drone, she happened to be closest to the epicentre of the explosion.
"It was about a metre away from me. My leg was torn off instantly. I also suffered an injury to my right leg. I remained conscious – I remembered everything and saw everything. My husband came to the hospital immediately. They told me he cried a lot and begged every doctor to save me," Svitlana says.
After being discharged from hospital, another ordeal awaited her – during yet another shelling, a fragment from an enemy drone hit her apartment. At that moment, Svitlana, her husband and their daughter were all at home.
"A projectile hit our window and the balcony. We were all at home and were terrified. The building opposite ours was damaged. That was when we decided to leave. We were already afraid to go outside. We feared something might happen to our child," Svitlana explains.
She now lives in Kharkiv with her family. But even there, the war makes itself felt every day – the city is regularly subjected to russian shelling and guided aerial bomb attacks. Despite this, the woman continues to recover from her injuries, is learning to use a prosthetic leg and is gradually returning to an active life.
She does sports, including swimming. "It is excellent rehabilitation because it engages all the muscles. In the water, without the prosthesis, it feels as though you are freer, as though you can feel that leg again. I also go to the gym and train with a coach," she says.
Svitlana's resilience and determination to live inspire her loved ones, who witness every day her efforts, perseverance and desire to keep moving forward. Her daughter Anastasiia admires her mother the most:
"My mum took part in competitions and won two awards. I was so happy for her. She is strong."
As part of the Treatment and Rehabilitation for Wounded Adults project, the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation supports civilians in Ukraine who have been affected by shelling. Since the project was launched, more than 11,000 Ukrainians have already received treatment and rehabilitation.
If you or someone you know needs assistance, send a message to the Foundation via Messenger: http://m.me/AkhmetovFDU or call the free hotline: 0 800 509 001 (the hotline operates Monday to Friday).
