“We live the same way we did before the injury”: rehabilitation from the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation helped seriously wounded Artur return to everyday activities

When doctors said that his leg could not be saved and would need to be amputated, it seemed that Artur’s active life had come to an end. That was when the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation stepped in and provided the rehabilitation he needed. Today, the boy is adapting to a prosthetic limb and gradually returning to an active life.

“Now we live exactly the same way we did before the injury: he has activities, school, training sessions, walks, and time with friends,” says Yuliia, Artur’s mother.

But in 2024, that terrible conclusion from doctors sounded like a sentence for Artur and his mother. The boy was injured while playing football near his school in the Kharkiv region. A missile struck nearby. Doctors fought for his life for eight hours and at first gave him no chance because of the massive blood loss. The boy survived, and on the tenth day after surgery he endured another missile attack - this time at the Okhmatdyt hospital in Kyiv.

Today, Artur is making plans for the future and trying his hand at writing - he became one of the winners of the nationwide essay competition “The Event That Changed Everything.  The Power of Help” organized by the Museum of Civilian Voices founded by the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation.

“This explosion divided my life into ‘before’ and ‘after’... War can bring only suffering, destruction, and pain. I would really like peace, the kind all of Ukraine is waiting for! I believe in the victory of good over evil, in our victory over the occupiers,” Artur writes in his essay.

On April 7, the world marks World Health Day. On this day, the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation reminds people of the importance of supporting children affected by russia’s war against Ukraine. The Foundation continues to provide free rehabilitation for children and adults who have been injured, helping them return to life step by step. Overall, more than 11,000 Ukrainians have already received treatment and rehabilitation assistance from the Foundation.

“There are good, professional people here who are focused on helping. I would even say that the Foundation is dedicated to helping people - supporting them wherever possible. This is extremely important because nowadays people find it difficult to cope with certain life situations on their own. Not everyone has the means. There are people who have lost everything,” says Yuliia, Artur’s mother.

This assistance is provided through the project “Rinat Akhmetov - to Children.  Rehabilitation for Injured Children,” launched back in 2016. Today, all children under the age of 18 who were injured during hostilities in Ukraine after February 24, 2022, can undergo this free rehabilitation.

If your children or someone you know needs help, message the Foundation via Messenger: m.me/AkhmetovFDU or call the free hotline 0800509001 (the line operates Monday through Friday).