Wounded in Ukraine, rehabilitated at Reuth

David says, “No one believed the war would actually break out. Before the war, I had a great life with my mom, little brother, and grandparents. I did the Naale program, so I knew that I would one day immigrate to Israel. The war accelerated this process.

My city, Mariupol, was heavily bombed. As a result, we had no electricity, running water, or means of communication with the outside world. On March 15, instead of preparing for the holiday of Purim, I went out to cook over a fire with three neighbors outside our building. We knew it was dangerous because there was non-stop shelling, but we had no electricity so there was no other way to cook. We had to eat to survive. Suddenly, we heard a whistle followed by a loud boom. I remember seeing my body but not being able to feel it. Slowly, feeling returned to the left side of my body but not the right. Later, I realized that a mortar shell had exploded next to us and a piece of shrapnel penetrated my spine.

The neighbors brought me inside and gave me first aid. I knew I had to get to a hospital as soon as possible. The neighbors found an ambulance driver and convinced him to drive me and my mom. When we arrived, I realized that there wasn’t much of a hospital left. It was heavily damaged and what remained was a makeshift structure. Inside, there was chaos. Wounded people of all ages were screaming in agony. It was a very difficult sight. A few days later, I was moved to a hospital in Donetsk where I underwent surgery to remove the shrapnel from my back.

I knew I had to leave Ukraine, but I had to think of my family still in Mariupol. An underground evacuation operation helped get them out of Mariupol and bring us to Georgia, after which we continued to Israel.

I’ve been undergoing rehabilitation at Reuth for the past two months. As a result of the injury, I have developed Brown-Sequard syndrome, which causes motor impairment in the extremities and muscle weakness. I have difficulty performing basic activities with my right arm (such as eating, writing, and lifting objects) and have sensory impairment on the left side of my body, including limited ability to feel heat, cold, and pain.

There is still a long way to go but I am improving quickly thanks to the dedicated treatment I am receiving. Reuth’s rehabilitation team is certainly making me optimistic.