By Channel 5 and Ukraine War Amps
06.03.2017
Translated by Ukraine War Amps and edited by Voices of Ukraine
HELP US HELP!
MEET A HERO – OLEKSANDR POPRUZHENKO
Military instructor Aleksandr Popruzhenko covered a grenade with his body in order to save the lives of 30 mobilized soldiers. He suffered numerous serious injuries in an accident which happened on the training grounds. Medics from Odesa Military Hospital managed to stabilize his condition, but he needs to have an emergency surgery on his eyes to save his eyesight. Ukrainian physicians are not able to help the hero because of the complexity of the operation.
Oleksandr graduated from the military institute externally and was sent to Mykolaiv to train mobilized fighters. The 20-year-old instructor was training newcomers to throw grenades. At one of the sessions, a de-pinned grenade fell in the midst of the soldiers. Oleksandr did not hesitate, and covered the grenade with his body.
He was taken to the Odesa Military Hospital with severe injuries to his limbs and eyes. Doctors stabilized his condition but noted that to save his eyesight the officer urgently needed an operation abroad. Odessa doctors found out that Israeli doctors are able to do this ophthalmic surgery and it was originally thought he would go there but the family’s latest Facebook posts say that they are hoping that the Filatov Institute of Eye Diseases and Tissue Therapy in Odesa will be able to do the surgery. Here the operation is free but the family must buy the cornea and oil (silicon). The surgery is now planned for after the 10th or 15th of June. The family has been able to gather a large amount of what is needed (about 60,000 of the 80,000 hryvnia needed) but is still short about 20,000 (approx. USD800).
Ukraine War Amps, whom Voices of Ukraine has written about before, would like to help the family and Oleksandr out here through its campaign of compassionate crowdfunding, and to adopt Oleksandr in their Adopt a Soldier program. Oleksandr is missing two fingers, is deaf in one ear and has no sight. Just last week he went through a surgery on his ear on May 31, 2017 in Kyiv.
Ukraine War Amps cannot stand aside and is asking for help to gather the much needed funds for this Hero and to continue helping him with any future surgeries and rehabilitation. Ukrainian War Amps’ representatives are in contact with the family directly. If you are able, please help Aleksandr receive his much needed eye surgery this month and help support his proper rehabilitation. The links are below.
Video about Oleksandr Popruzhenko in Ukrainian:
Source: Channel 5 online
ABOUT UKRAINE WAR AMPS:
Founded in July 2014, Toronto-based Ukraine War Amps is a worldwide community whose sole purpose is to assist amputees, severely injured soldiers and patriots who have been fighting for the liberty of Ukraine during Russia’s ongoing invasion and war against it. The Ukraine War Amps community is comprised of caring people who sponsor and support Ukraine’s heroes, and now also, their families. UWA has an international team of volunteers working 24/7 all over the world to make aid available and deliver it directly to the recipient’s doorstep or bedside in any city, town or village within Ukraine in a timely manner.
Ukraine War Amps’ Adopt a Soldier, and I CARE, projects are proud to be sponsored by the following organizations: Ukrainian Youth Association of Canada, Mississauga Branch; Ukrainian Women’s Association of Canada; Daughters of Ukraine, Regina, SK Branch; Ukrainian Self-Reliance Association; Ukrainian Orthodox Men’s Association of Regina; and to be supported by the following bodies: the online blogs Voices of Ukraine; Nash Holos radio station; Meest; The Ukrainian Youth Association of Canada, Ottawa Branch; Kramarczuk’s Sausage Company, Minneapolis, MN; Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic Church, Hamtramck, MI; the Ukrainian Restaurant, Windsor, ON; the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of St. Anne, Scarborough, ON.
To help support the Adopt a Soldier and I CARE programs
please access both through this link:
https://www.youcaring.com/Adopt_a_Soldier
To contact them:
ukrainewaramps@gmail.com
For more information, please visit the official UWA website
RELATED:
Family and friends post updating Oleksandr Popruzhenko’s status on Facebook
Voices of Ukraine 
Pingback: MILNEWS.ca #UKR + Cold War 2.0 Update as of 041430UTC June 2017 | MILNEWS.ca Blog