“Since I was amputated, I feel like I’m locked in a prison”

A former business manager, Anatoly was looking forward to enjoying his retirement with his wife Tatyana one day, once the war was over. But on April 19, 2024, a missile hit the courtyard of his apartment building, leaving him seriously injured.

I was in the courtyard when there was a huge explosion

“It was two years after the escalation of the war and two days after my daughter's wedding. We had just returned home to the Donbass region after celebrating the event. I was outside in the courtyard and Tatyana called me in for dinner. At that very moment, there was a huge explosion. I was thrown against the wall of our house. The damage to my legs was terrible - I was bleeding profusely and in terrible pain. The paramedics arrived and did what they could to stabilise me, but the leg injury was severe and they were overwhelmed by the number of people - my neighbours, pedestrians who had been passing by - who needed help. Three people were completely blown apart and at least 12 others injured. There were body parts everywhere. My wife and I had minutes to evacuate. We had to leave all our belongings behind, all our souvenirs.

I was given medical care in the Dnipro region; the treatment was very expensive. The condition of my legs continued to deteriorate. The wound caused by the explosion was so severe that it had destroyed my blood vessels and caused severe thrombosis. The wounds became infected. On August 29, 2024, one of my legs was amputated, and the next day, the other. I was devastated.

From one day the next, I lost all my independence

From one day to the next, I lost all my independence – my ability to work and provide for my family.  Now I feel like I'm locked in a prison. I spend most of my time in a bed that is barely big enough for me. My wife has become my full-time carer, and I can see what a burden it is for her. We used to be such an active, dynamic couple. Today, I'm completely dependent on her for everything.

I don’t even have access to a bomb shelter

These days, we live on the ninth floor of an apartment block and there are four of us living in a one-room flat: my mother, my mother-in-law, my wife and me. The lift in the building rarely works and anyway my wheelchair won't fit in it, so I'm stuck in the flat. We wanted a larger ground floor flat, but people with disabilities are often stigmatised in Ukraine and we thought that nobody would want to rent us a property like that. Here, I don't even have access to a bomb shelter.

This support reminds us that we are not alone

We sacrificed so much for this war. One of my six children was killed in a bombing raid on his way home from work. When I think of everything that has happened to us, I feel very sad. I hope that no one else will ever have to know what it's like to go through something like this.

Today, I'm trying to register as a disabled person, but it takes time and costs money. That's why we received financial support from HI. I hope that in time I will be able to wear prostheses. We are very grateful for the help we receive. At a time when so many things seem hopeless, this support is very precious to us. It reminds us that we are not alone."