Artem Vashchenko is a 45-year-old defender of  Ukraine. Before the outbreak of full-scale war, he worked as a laborer and loved spending time with his family and friends.

After being drafted into the army, he was trained and became a soldier of the 23rd separate Special Forces battalion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

He was a gunner and provided fire support to personnel in the Donetsk region near the city of Bakhmut. On October 24, 2023, his group went to the city to perform a combat mission. But when they were returning to their position, they came under mortar fire. Artem received a gunshot blind penetrating wound with a metal fragment in his lower back. Three other soldiers from his group were wounded, but all survived. 

Artem was evacuated to a hospital where he was put on a drug blockade to prevent the shrapnel from entering his kidney. That was all the doctors could do. Since then, he has been to four military hospitals, where they refused to remove the shrapnel – the injury was too complex. The soldier was never able to walk normally. He returned home to Kyiv, where his friends advised him to contact the Dobrobut Medical Network. They told him that the most complicated surgeries are performed here. Artem made an appointment for a consultation, and on the same day the doctors held a consultation and determined the treatment plan.

Artem’s surgery was performed by Andriy Garmish, head of the neurosurgery department, and Oleh Mamenko, head of the Dobrobut neurosurgery department. They removed a foreign metal body measuring 8x7x13 mm, which was located at a distance of 1 mm from the kidney. After dressings and wound healing, Artem is walking again. 

“I have been looking for a doctor to help me for so long, and only Dobrobut was able to do it. You guys are great! As soon as I went to the hospital, a consultation was held, and the next day I was operated on. The Foundation also financed the treatment. The doctor told me to walk, and I walk a lot now. Thanks to you, I can walk again! ” – says Artem Vashchenko.

The defender will soon return to the Armed Forces. He plans to undergo a military medical examination, after which he will go to study in the UK or back to the front line. He is not sure what will happen, because everything in the army changes very quickly.

Artem enthusiastically answers the question about what helps him stay strong: “Home, family and children. My own and other people’s children. Belief in the Victory and support of my family give me the strength to live on.”

 We were able to pay for Artem’s treatment thanks to your donations to Monobank in the amount of 12,314 UAH.

 Your contributions will help to provide quality medical care to wounded soldiers, provide them with the necessary medicines, rehabilitation and return to normal life.