During the war, people help each other a lot and actively volunteer. Farmak’s employees and other involved people joined the volunteering in the clinic for heavily wounded defenders*. Some patients’ stories are truly touching. One of such stories and the story of volunteerism in the clinic were shared by Valentyna, an employee of Farmak, in the interview.

Valentyna, why and when did you make up your mind to volunteer in the clinic for heavily wounded military?

I have always admired the proactivity of the Zhebrivsky Family Charitable Foundation, I can see how much they help, how they take care of Farmak’s colleagues, who serve in the army. When I received a message in the corporate newsletter that the Foundation assisted the rehabilitation of military in the clinic and that there was need to visit the wounded, I would not think twice. This was an opportunity to give individual care where care was needed.

My opinion is that now everyone must help. I would not join the army, but I am eager to help defeat this war; besides, I have a feeling I owe to these people who defended us, but now when they are wounded, their lives are broken, it is my way of paying tribute to these people.

How did you meet the patients?

First, the clinic doctors distributed us between patients and told us about the needs of everyone. First, we separately talked with patients, but very soon we with colleagues became one large team.

Please, tell us about the patient named Mykola. How did you meet him?

The doctors asked us to take him under wing. He was a complicated patient, with speech and motor impairment. No one would come to visit him.

First, he negatively responded to our invitations for walks or activities, he was depressed, at some instance he refused to eat. We with girls tried to make him eat for more than a month (of course, together with the healthcare personnel).

We started to actively help him with exercises, the rehabilitation specialist and speech therapist assigned “homework”, and we, so to say, “made” him do it.

We even took turns so that Mykola wouldn’t be left unattended. Some one of us would visit him nearly every day. Gradually, he got used to us, started to communicate with other men, and enjoyed the circle. He got used to all of us and recollected everyone.

We were told offhand that he would not be able to take care of himself, that is why we need to look for an establishment, where he would have 24-hour care.

At first, the girls and I refused to accept it. We thought, how is it possible, other men were getting better, and he would be able to recover.

In fact, his story is a true detective story that we with girls managed to unravel.

Why a detective story?

When we first met, we only knew his first and last name, and he was relocated to the clinic from a military hospital. And that’s it. I can’t recollect how we got this information, but we found out that he lived in Volyn. And I myself am from there. And I know for sure that in Volyn it is impossible that no one would know an individual.

Later, the healthcare personnel turned on his mobile phone, and two of his friends got in touch. He was able to communicate with them via video conference. He couldn’t speak, but he listened, understood everything, responded non-verbally, and smiled.

A relative from Volyn was also accidentally met; she found him in the clinic and periodically came to visit him.

Owing to his relative and friends, we collected a short story of his life.

He appeared to be Mykola from Crimea. When Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, he relocated from Crimea and lived in Lutsk. His mother and brother remained living in Crimea, but they did not have regular contacts. He worked as a metalsmith; according to his friends, he was thorough and skilled at the work. In 2022, Mykola volunteered for the war.

In autumn 2023, he had a stroke. He was transferred from the military hospital to the clinic supported by the Foundation for treatment and rehabilitation.

The man did not speak, how did you communicate with him?

Unfortunately, he is still unable to speak. He is unable to write either. We had to teach him like a child, from scratch, using images, words, exercises. We communicated with gestures. Yet, gestures started later. We were happy with each his success and each new step.

Thanks to the colleagues, he started to go out, we took him along to the picnic, to the theater, and to weekly Friday’s get-togethers. His mood noticeably improved. His two friends, who call him by phone, also had a positive impact.

What happened then?

When we accepted that he would not be able to live daily life on his own and he would need constant help, the worst questions ‘What next?’, ‘Where?’ arose.

We started to search for an establishment where he could stay after the clinic. We had discussions hours long, surfed the internet, asked everyone we could reach, consulted the lawyer. Most said there was nothing they could do and were clueless. Normally, the family would take care of the individual in such a condition, but he did not have anyone of the family. Here, there were only us, girls of Farmak.

His friends also joined the efforts and started to search for an establishment in Volyn. Yet, the paperwork appeared to be a hard job.

What exactly were the issues?

The key issue was to establish disability and to obtain medical opinion of the self-maintenance disability and need for external assistance. The clinic was very helpful with the submission of documents and obtaining of the certificate of the Disability Board to recognize the individual with disabilities.

Generally speaking, the procedure of actions is described in the Legal Navigator “Principle for the Military, Veterans and Their Families” (reference). Those who encountered such a situation know that the paperwork for awarding pension has numerous catches, and it is important not to omit anything and correctly make all documents. Here, our colleague Valentyn gave his hand. He was undergoing rehabilitation in the clinic at the same time and became, so to say, a coordinator at each and every step.

Every step seemed like an end, a dead end, to me. Yet, every time, a tip would emerge, or people, who agreed to help, would be met.

And we managed to collect all documents, process the status and even to restore the bank card.

How and where did you find the establishment?

It was not easy to choose an establishment, but the Zhebrivsky Family Charitable Foundation, in particular Mrs. Filya Ivanivna Zhebrovska, all at once and timely helped with this matter, it was her initiative. In December 2023, during a meeting on Volunteer Day, we told her the story of Mykola.

By joint efforts in Lutsk, we found an establishment, a boarding house. I personally went there, I also met Mykola’s friends. His friends were not able to come to him in Kyiv, but in Lutsk they take care of him. The relative I told you about who came to Kyiv also visits Mykola every week now. A very good rehabilitation specialist works at the establishment, she does lots of exercises with him, and there is already progress in movement. Our girls visited Mykola in the summer of 2024. He now has many guests, he is not left alone and this is very valuable.

What was the most difficult thing for you personally in this story?

The scariest and most responsible thing for me was choosing an establishment. Because that was the decision where a person would be living.

In this story, I really want to thank Valentyna, Mariana, three Natalias, all the girls and colleagues from the department. After all, my colleagues lend their ear to me, supported me both morally and financially.

Who else from the guys from the clinic do you remember?

In fact, there is plenty of stories, there is not enough time to tell them all. I can however also mention Sasha Skrynskyi, who has become my personal motivator. He was in the same ward with Mykola for a while. He is a man with an amputated low extremity, a shattered shoulder bone, and arm spasticity after a stroke. But he didn’t give up, now he is actively training at Dnipro Football club. People with amputated extremities play football there. I talked to his coach when they came to Kyiv, and he said that Sasha was the only one who didn’t need motivation, he himself would motivate anyone. The coach also said that all veterans needed attention, this is the most important thing for them. When family, relatives or just caring people are around, it motivates a person to live. You can find out more about Sasha at the link.

What else would you like to add?

Mykola is my most difficult, but at the same time the most motivating individual. I sincerely appreciate everyone’s support and help to him. For me, the whole story is about kindness. Because no matter how much we addressed any facility for consultations, information or requests, there were always people ready to support. And the person who initially had no one to take care of him has people who care about him. Having visited such facilities where people with amputations and other impairments receive care, you understand how much you have yourself. And people need to be reminded how good they are and that they need to share this.

*The Zhebrivsky Family Charitable Foundation is financing the Program “Rehabilitation of Patients with Severe Physical Challenges” for the military in one of Kyiv private clinics. Farmak’s employees also joined this voluntary assistance to these military: they visit the guys, talk to them, help them during walks, arrange various activities.