Maidaners
February 20, 7:42 am Facebook
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I got this email yesterday: “Hello. Would you like to write about a young woman – Olesya? Olesya Zhukovska from Ternopil (Krements) has been on Maidan from day one. She is 21 years old, works as a paramedic 250 km away from her childhood home. Olesya went to Maidan to be a volunteer medic. It is hard to imagine what she has been through since then. Her clothes burned down on Hrushevskiy Street, a grenade went off right next to her… but she did not leave, and remained to help people.

“After staying on Maidan for three months, Olesya got sick with a severe case of tonsillitis and had to be hospitalized. Several days ago she left for home to visit her mother, because she kept crying and urged Olesya to come home and show that she was still alive – Olesya is the only child. She came home for a couple of days.

But when Olesya saw what was going on in Kyiv, she took a bus back to Maidan with 18 other men, despite the tears and concern of her parents and family.

She is currently at a Maidan medical unit near the Christmas tree. I am proud of people like her and I think that Olesya deserves that you write about her.”

I wrote to Olesya that I wanted to talk to her. 15 hours ago she responded, “OK.” This morning, Olesya has been wounded in the neck. She is currently in the hospital fighting for her life. Olesya, you are so wonderful! Please, live!

Olesya Zhukovska, Maidan Medic

RELATED stories about Olesya:

Olesya was shot through the neck by sniper fire despite the fact she was wearing her Medic’s red cross shirt. More information here:
Kyiv Post: Medical volunteer tweets ‘I’m dying’ after being shot
The Guardian: ‘I am dying’, young volunteer medic tweets after being shot in Kiev