My Dad is a hero
(The story that changed me and my family.)

My country is going through a hard time when another state has invaded our freedom. Many of our fathers and sons have stood up for our independence and freedom. One of those defenders is my Dad. It was the feeling of patriotism that made him go to war. If necessary, he will fight for the future of Ukraine to the victorious end. In any case, my Dad will not back down because he understands that, protecting his country, he protects me, his brother, and all of us together.

Once in a lesson, we needed to sew a little angel from the blue-yellow fabric. Before Dad left for the front, I handed him this angel and said, “This angel is protecting you now.” Dad put it in his pocket and promised that in particularly dangerous situations he would pull out an angel and hope for the protection. It has happened several times. Now, this angel is the guard of our house.

In 2015, he was in the midst of war while working as a doctor in his battalion. He saved more than one life. The number of those whom he saved thanks to his self-sacrificing work exceeds dozens and even hundreds of people. Every day, when the Ukrainian TV hosts aired the news about dead and wounded defenders of our state, he went fearlessly to rescue them under atrocious artillery fire. Just only now I understand how important his profession for all our people.

In February 2016, the whole world watched as Ukrainian fighters left the “Debaltseve bridgehead” in broken cars or by foot, with wounded men in complete silence. The shelling of our military was deathly dangerous. My father’s team was attacked by the separatists, so they had to flee in different directions. My Dad wandered the forest for a few days until he reached a safe place.

That night, my Mom was called from an unknown number and told that her husband had been captured. It would be impossible to describe her and my emotions. It was a shock mixed with sadness, helplessness, and later with a ray of hope and courage. As it turned out later, this person simply confused the information.

It was the hardest time of my life. I was so worried about him, but most of all, I was afraid of losing him. Even when he was at war, at the first opportunity to call home, he asked his mother about the children. I believed with all my heart that my Dad would come home alive.

So it happened, at the end of the summer, Father returned home… Angel was around us, Angel was beside us, Angle was within us…Embraces and tears, joy and happiness…I am proud of my Daddy for his care and courage, sincerity and love. He is my first hero. He is my life lighthouse. I can proudly say that this is MY DAD.