I was able to realize that life is precious and found meaning!

Losing a leg – is an accident you might say! I never looked for someone to blame for it, nor did I blame myself because I knew of the endless regrets and self-pity. So I decided to live! To be life itself! The important thing is not to start fogging and dulling that pain. It gives you the strength to do incredible things and the right to your own story. So let’s think about what kind of story do we want?!

Amputation has turned my life upside down, literally. It’s like I was born again and I understand the world differently. When they sawed off my leg, I didn’t realize how much hidden strength a person has. We can overcome anything in the world! Everything is in our head and the hardest thing is to put things in order and systemize.

We are constantly distracted by problems, difficulties that seem impossible to solve. There is a great phrase: “if you want it enough, you can fly into space”, so amputation is the most amazing thing that happened to me, I was able to realize that life is priceless and found meaning. And never forget that when we lose something, we find more and better. So it’s not a judgment.

Here’s an example, as a child on the playground, when a toy is taken away from you, what do you do? Cry or take it back? So take matters into your own hands and fight to the end, it’s yours by right. Did you think this is the end, no, this is just the beginning of your new life.

Of course, it’s not as simple as they say, take it and do it. But I’ll tell you what it is, you just have to pick it up and do it. It took me a year to get back on my feet and another eight months to go to the gym. But before that, I went hard on the bars, every day, which disciplined me.

I realized that no one else would do it but me. I became a completely different person, a mirror image of the person everyone knew. Now that’s the positive and motivational side of it. So think about it! How do you want to live your life? Find something that will motivate you, find a meaning, a favorite activity and don’t ever feel sorry for yourself or accept pity from others. Pity is the first thing you see in people’s eyes when they approach you. But you don’t need it. You need the support of your family and friends or just acquaintances.

When people meet me or call me and ask me how I’m doing and I answer, “super or great,” it puts people in a stupor. And especially after you tell them about your successes, achievements and fortitude, they realize that they have it so much worse than you. And then they start complaining about their lives, asking you for advice, and then you realize you’re on the right track.

You know? It is not something to be ashamed of, it is your highlight of your new, beautiful and interesting life. But for this you need to struggle and work hard and then everything will work out for you!

Thanks to the City Program “Equality” for 2019-2020, approved by the decision of the Odessa City Council, I received my hip prosthesis with disarticulation, which was made in the Center “Tellus”. I have known about the Center for a long time, I live nearby and I know very well that it provides prosthetics, assembles prostheses and teaches how to use them.

I hope my attitude to life will inspire many people who are in a similar situation to me to stop worrying about it and live a full life like me!