Ukrainian serviceman comes back to dancing stage after losing his leg on front line – photos
Military Oleh Slyvar, a professional folk dancer before the outbreak of the war, lost his leg at the front. Following his amputation, he returned to the stage and performed on a prosthetic with his Verkhovynka ensemble in Drohobych.
This was reported by Oleh’s sister Anna Slyvar.
"When Oleh stood on stage, tears came from my eyes: emotions of joy, pride and, weird as it may sound, but also tears of regret and sadness because of the tremendously tough era that we lived as a family.
These were mixed feelings, because we had done dancing together since childhood, and this is a radically different dance – not the one in which he always laughs – and a radically different Oleh: restrained, courageous, standing on a prosthesis with his head held high with thoughts about the past, which will never come back," Oleh’s sister said to UP. Life.
Oleh Slyvar is a 26-year-old soldier from Drohobych. He was a professional folk dancer for 12 years and performed with the Verkhovynka ensemble prior to Russia's full-scale invasion.
In summer of 2022, he joined the National Guard. In November of the same year, while on a combat mission on the Donetsk front, Oleh was hit by mortar fire and sustained many shrapnel wounds. Due to the severity of his injuries, his leg had to be amputated.
He survived a cardiac arrest and physicians were able to preserve his life.
"The second dose of the painkiller was injected during the evacuation, and morphine was administered later at the stable point. A cardiac arrest [occurred]. 30 minutes of direct heart massage. 30! According to protocol, they had every right to stop. But the God-sent doctor did not give up," said Olha Rudneva, CEO of Superhumans.
Oleh Slyvar became one of the first patients of this prosthetics centre, where he received a prosthesis with an electronic knee.
"Rehabilitation lasted quite a while, with repeated difficult surgeries, persisting anxiety and the desire to take his pain away," says Oleh’s sister.
She says that supporting soldiers at all times is incredibly crucial, particularly during the rehabilitation period.
"The care of his sister and parents provided Oleh with immense strength and determination to carry ahead. But at the same time, my Oleh has a girlfriend whose support is one of the most crucial ones, because she is a loved one who brings affection and a sense of tranquillity," Anna Slyvar says.
The support of relatives and personal resilience allowed Oleh to return to his favourite activity – dancing.
His sister Anna is sure that the soldier will continue to dance.
"Folk dance ensemble Verkhovynka never forgets their graduates and always waits for rehearsals eagerly.
Oleh is the type of person that will keep moving forward regardless of what happens, therefore he will undoubtedly have an exciting and fulfilling life. He has Antarctica behind him, which he conquered with a prosthesis (Oleh visited Antarctica after receiving his prosthesis – ed.). New tests await him, and I am confident that he will succeed," said Oleh's sister.
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