Oleksandr Popyk is a soldier from the Kyiv region. Before the war, he was a biker, loved speed and motorcycles. Back in 2014, he volunteered to go to the front.
In October 2022, he was wounded during an assault. Oleksandr suffered a spinal cord injury. He could no longer walk. Since then, his journey of treatment and recovery began.
“At first I went to Poland. They tried to treat me there. Nothing worked. Then I came to Kyiv. I was thrown into different institutions and rehabilitation centers”, – the soldier says.
At the rehabilitation center in Rivne, Oleksandr met Maxim and Ivan, instructors of the First Contact program of the NGO Active Rehabilitation Group. Communication with them helped Oleksandr accept his new condition and the new reality of life. This became the impetus for further actions and changes.
“The instructors in the wheelchair are the best motivation”, – Oleksandr says, “They really helped. First of all, they supported me. It’s a little bit overwhelming, because I’ve been walking all my life and now I’m a ‘non-walker’.
The mentors shared with the guy the necessary information about his injury, practical skills and various useful tips.
Later, Oleksandr met other representatives of the Active Rehabilitation Group by chance. The guys from the ARG offered to meet the soldier when he was passing by. As a result of the meeting, Oleksandr received a wheelchair as a gift.
“Back then I still had a big Soviet wheelchair, which was impossible to use. They offered me to try to change to another one. Would it be comfortable for me? I changed and immediately went. The difference is significant: the active wheelchair is much more comfortable. So they gave it to me. And then they began to teach me how to use it: how to drive over curbs, stairs and other obstacles,” the soldier recalls.
The next thing Oleksandr did was to equip his home, “so that he could be independent and feel comfortable.”
Here again, representatives of the Active Rehabilitation Group helped. They carry out advisory activities in this area with the support of the League of the Strong union thanks to a grant from the European Disability Forum and the Christian Blind Mission. Together they worked on the redesign of the bathroom. They developed drawings, according to which Oleksandr has already made repairs on his own.
The guy also discussed issues related to the entire apartment with Ihor Pyrozhkov, a housing consultant. He filled out a housing self-audit questionnaire. Together, they formed a request to the village council to install a ramp. And eventually it was installed. The next step was to arrange the adjacent territory. The village council allocated funds.
“Accessible and comfortable house is a top priority. After all, it is in everyday life that you gain independence. Without professional advice and assistance, I would have had to do it myself. It took more time, and I don’t want to waste it,” says Oleksandr.
It is still difficult for a military man to talk about changes in his life. But Oleksandr tries to be active and fill his life with interesting and important events.
“Accessible and comfortable house is a top priority. After all, it is in everyday life that you gain independence. Without professional advice and assistance, I would have had to do it myself. It took more time, and I don’t want to waste it,” says Oleksandr.
“I love riding motorcycles. Even after my injury, I rode a sports motorcycle. My legs were tied with tape to prevent me from falling off. I also ride an ATV and go shooting. I live an active life, I try to keep everything as it was before.”
Oleksandr is also driving car on his own. While he was in the hospital, the guys from the Active Rehabilitation Group helped him adjust the manual steering.
The work of the Active Rehabilitation Group is 100% important and useful, says Popyk.
“A “walking” person would not be able to give such objective advice as a person in a wheelchair with his own experience”, – he adds.
The activities of the Active Rehabilitation Group are made possible thanks to the financial support of the @CBM and the @European Disability Forum through a grant from the @League of the Strong public union. The views expressed in this material are those of the public organization Active Rehabilitation Group and therefore do not in any way reflect the official opinion of the financial partners.