After severe brain injury His father did not give up on the Ukrainian soldier - today he is making great progress
Two years ago, Ukrainian soldier Vitaly Shumei was seriously wounded in the head during the war. With the support of his father, he is gradually making progress. But he still has a long way to go.
06.09.2024, 22:03
dpa
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- During the war against Ukraine, Ukrainian soldier Vitaliy Shumei suffered severe brain injuries.
- Although doctors sometimes lost hope, he is now on the road to recovery - partly because of his father.
- Even the football club Shakhtar Donetsk helped the wounded soldier and covered the costs of the expensive treatment. But there is still a long way to go.
For two years, Serhij Shumei did not leave the side of his bedridden son Vitaly, who had suffered a serious brain injury. He accompanied the 36-year-old through hospitals and rehabilitation centers and took pleasure in the smallest advances: a smile, a new word, an unexpected movement. These were milestones that the Ukrainian soldier's doctors had hardly thought possible.
A year and a half ago, the AP reported on Schumei's story, which went viral. Among others, the Ukrainian football club Shakhtar Donetsk took notice and offered to pay for Schumei's expensive and urgently needed medical treatment.
The anti-aircraft missile commander was injured in August 2022 during fighting in the Donetsk region, the most fiercely contested part of Ukraine's 1000-kilometer frontline. Shumei was deployed in the defense of the city of Avdiivka, which has since been captured by Russian forces. The battle for Bakhmut, the longest since the start of the war, had only just begun when Shumei was injured.
Father does not give up hope: "Soon we will leave"
Now the Russian troops are advancing on another large city, Pokrovsk, where the battle is likely to be just as grueling and brutal as in other cities in the Donbass. But the ultimate price for the slow advance of Russian forces in the region is being paid by the soldiers and their families in the war, in which thousands have already been killed or injured.
"We have already made some progress, if only his legs would start working," says Serhij Shumei. "Soon we'll be walking and doing exercises every day." There are two beds in their room at the rehabilitation center in Modrychi in western Ukraine. Vitaly Shumei sleeps by the window, his 65-year-old father opposite. Serhij Shumei's life now revolves primarily around his son's future.
The wall of the room is decorated with a football shirt with Shumei's name and the number 35 on it. Next to it hangs a Ukrainian flag with the autographs of the Shakhtar players and a photo of a smiling Vitaly before his injury. Serhij has been a passionate Shakhtar fan all his life. When the club offered to cover the costs of his son's treatment a year and a half ago, he could hardly believe it.
Soldier could only say "yes" and "no" after injury
At the time, Vitaliy's condition was serious after he was hit by a grenade in the trenches. The explosion tore a crater the size of half a melon into his skull. He was able to blink and swallow, but was largely immobile.
After lengthy examinations, Vitalij underwent surgery in Barcelona. "The operation was very complex, but Vitalij is strong," says his father. "I knew he would get through it." A few months later, father and son returned to Ukraine. In February of this year, Vitaliy began to laugh and speak again. At first, his answers were still limited to "yes" and "no". But his vocabulary gradually grew until he was able to name colors, days of the week and the names of close relatives again.
His father is present at every rehabilitation session. Vitaliy has recently made significant progress, says his occupational therapist Svitlana Kononeko, who has been treating him for several months. Her patients include several soldiers.
Father always stands by injured son
Serhij also needs support on his difficult journey. Volunteer Iryna Tymofeyeva has been accompanying the family for a year and a half. "It was a long and difficult journey," she says. Only these two men were "crazy enough" to believe in success right from the start.
Even today, Serhij stays close to his son almost all the time. "I only leave him alone when I see that he is standing on his feet," he says. "Then he can start living his own life." According to the rehabilitation specialists, it is not yet clear when Vitaliy will be able to walk and stand again.
However, he can be sure of his father's support. "He is my child and I have to persevere and do everything in my power to make him feel better," says Serhij Shumei. Giving up is not an option for him.
