He is a pediatric orthopedic surgeon by profession but a true warrior of light at heart. Oleksandr Lymarov traded his white coat for a military uniform when the occupiers first invaded Ukraine with their “russian world.”

Since 2016, as part of the infantry, he participated in significant battles along the Bakhmut direction. He defended villages like Krymske and Zaitseve from the occupiers and held the defensive line on the Svitlodarsk Bulge.

It was there he sustained his first injury — a shrapnel fragment deeply embedded in his leg. To preserve the leg’s mobility, surgeons removed 15 cm of bone from his thigh and excised torn muscle.

Despite the injury, Oleksandr spent another year at the front. Afterward, he returned to civilian life but chose not to return to pediatric orthopedics, deciding instead to become a rescuer.

❝ I understood that I was needed at fires. That’s exactly where I could make a difference, no matter what ❞ Oleksandr explains about his career change.

During the full-scale invasion, Oleksandr initially took part in liberating Kyiv Oblast. Later, he once again donned the military uniform and headed to Eastern Ukraine to defend against the occupiers. He fought in battles for Pokrovske, Bilohorivka, and Kreminna, until his second leg injury near the Serebrianske forestry.

Oleksandr is now undergoing treatment in Norway. He was sent there through a free international treatment program for Ukrainians. For five months, Norwegian doctors have been fighting an infection and fungus in the bone of his injured leg. He has already undergone 37 surgeries, and the threat of amputation has finally been eliminated.

Oleksandr is one of many servicemen receiving treatment in Norway as part of the “Medevac” program. Ukrainian soldiers with combat injuries are provided with free medical care and rehabilitation there.

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