Dignity that deserves more
Defence of the Motherland is the highest expression of loyalty, sacrifice and honour. But when the war ends for a soldier, another battle begins for him - for the right to live a full life. And this battle is often more difficult than the frontline.
Today in Ukraine, the question is being raised more and more often: how do we evaluate those who have sacrificed their health for our security? Does the state support its defenders fairly enough? Veterans face bureaucratic obstacles, vague criteria for determining disability, and the lack of a clear rehabilitation system. They are not asking for charity - they are demanding justice.
International experience proves that caring for veterans is not just an act of charity, but an investment in the future of society.
In Israel, every wounded soldier automatically receives state aid, including full medical care, rehabilitation, psychological support and decent financial payments. In the US, veterans have access to specialised medical centres, housing benefits, educational grants and social adaptation programmes. In Germany, they receive a lifetime pension, free medical care and reintegration assistance.
Why is it that in Ukraine, a significant part of the assistance falls on the shoulders of volunteers and philanthropists?
From initiative to system:
We, the team of the charity organisation "Kindness of Hearts", cannot turn a blind eye to this problem. We believe that everyone who fought for Ukraine has the right to a full life.
Our project has gained particular importance in partnership with the AURUM Medical Clinic, where we have combined advanced technology and a humanistic approach to the rehabilitation of military and civilian casualties of war. The clinic uses modern methods of physical and psychological recovery to help people adapt to the new realities of life faster.
In addition, our MIRUM medical clinic has a diagnostic and treatment centre where complex operations are performed to prepare for prosthetics, the osteo-integrative method is used, and comprehensive rehabilitation is carried out.
Our key areas of focus:
- Social adaptation and occupational therapy - returning to an active life through involvement in work and study.
- Teletherapy and remote support are the latest methods of psychological assistance available regardless of a person's location.
- Screen walks for the elderly and people with limited mobility, giving a sense of life outside the four walls.
- Virtual reality therapy - technologies that open up new opportunities for motor skills recovery and psychological adaptation.
- Game therapy - recovery through special methods that engage the brain in active work.
- Medical rehabilitation - a comprehensive approach to health recovery.
- Support for military families with amputations - training in the use of prostheses, integration into a new lifestyle.
- Chaplaincy service - spiritual support to help people find the strength to move on with their lives.
The consequences of indifference and the power of unity:
However, neither volunteer initiatives nor private charitable projects can replace the state system. As long as the mechanism of assistance to veterans remains imperfect, we risk losing not only their faith in the country, but also the opportunity to build a healthy society.
Can we afford to ignore them?
A society that does not honour its defenders is doomed to weakness. A state that does not appreciate those who defended it undermines its own foundation.
Justice starts with us. Restoring the country after the war is not only about rebuilding destroyed cities, but also about restoring human lives.
Helping those who defended us is not an act of mercy. It is our duty.