Rehabilitation of Injured Children: 3 years of the project’s activity

Every day, 220 thousand children in the Donbas region are exposed to a mortal danger from unexploded ordnance. Over 260 kids were wounded since the outbreak of the armed conflict. They need medical treatment and rehabilitation, without which neither physical nor psychological recovery is possible. Three years ago, the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation launched a unique project called “Rehabilitation of Wounded Children”, which provided help to more than one hundred victimized boys and girls.

Among them is Daniil Sysoyev from Krasnohorivka. The boy’s story is astonishing. On one of the spring days of 2015, Danya [a diminutive of Daniil] came out onto the balcony. Suddenly, shelling started. A missile exploded somewhere very close, and the shockwave threw the child off the fifth floor. Daniil hung on in the air for more than 10 minutes, holding the rails as he might, but eventually, he fell down.

Danya received a horrible head injury, and spent 15 days in a coma. A long rehabilitation process followed, helped by the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation. Thanks to this help, the boy can study at a regular school, albeit under an individual program.

‘The Rehabilitation of Wounded Children project is still on the agenda. The instances of wounding continue to be recorded. This is a huge pain of our country. Wounded children require systemic assistance. Many of them need to undergo a rehabilitation course several times. Therefore, we have already started to accept applications for participation in the project’s new season from the parents of children in both the government-controlled and government-uncontrolled territories. For Rinat Akhmetov, the most important thing is to help children,’ Tetiana Kukhotska, Director for Project Development at the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation says.

According to Mrs. Kukhotska, the Foundation is currently selecting sanatoriums where wounded children from the Donbas will undergo a rehabilitation course. But one thing is known for sure: these will be the leading health improvement institutions of Ukraine, which will offer an individual treatment program for every child.

To apply, call the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation’s hotline at 0800 509 001.