A sniper bullet pierced his head, leaving almost no chance of survival. But despite the great loss of blood and 9 days of coma, the fighter of the mountain assault brigade Alexander Dudarev has been learning to speak and walk again for two years. And he dreams of taking part in the Paralympic Games.
– Brothers and doctors said that my son is a real fighter. And even there, after the injury, lying on the ground with his head shot through, he held on, – says the boy’s mother Alla Korotych. “Even though it was two years ago, he remembers everything.” And as he stood on the post in the Golden, and as he fell, he felt pain, as he called for help, and no one came, because, as it turned out later, Sasha lost his tongue due to injury. Then he fought and now does not stop. He has never complained of his pain or helplessness. After the received neurotrauma, having a concussion of the 3rd degree and absence of 12 cm of a cranial bone of the son multistage and long-term rehabilitation is required.

Each lesson for a guy is a chance to learn to walk and talk again. He was treated in Kharkiv, Dnipro, and Lviv. Despite the fact that it was physically difficult, Alexander worked hard to recover. And in a few months he was able to pronounce his name… Aphasia – this is often called a speech disorder that occurs as a result of traumatic brain injury, complex injury or stroke. There is no cure for aphasia and it does not disappear. However, there is language therapy, which in most cases helps people like Alexander Dudarev to regain lost communication skills.
– Currently, there are few specialists in Ukraine who work with fighters to restore language after a brain injury. My son and I visited many hospitals and rehabilitation centers in Ukraine. Only in Lviv did they find a specialist who believed in Sasha and constantly deals with him, – says the fighter’s mother. – And the result of her work is impressive. The son is already saying little by little, though not everyone understands him yet. But this is already a positive.

Specialists use a cognitive-neuropsychological approach to restore speech. It was created in the UK and is now widely used around the world. This not only enhances the effect of therapy, but also has a positive psychological impact on the patient’s condition. Also in the treatment of aphasiologists use a pragmatic approach aimed at restoring communication skills. That’s why fighters often take group classes.

– After many classes, he walks, he can already do something at home, for example, cook scrambled eggs… Sasha is constantly on the road. Both in Ukraine and abroad. He is currently undergoing rehabilitation in Irpen, where the Next Step rehabilitation center, unique for Ukraine, was recently opened. My son is strong in spirit and has a goal – to represent Ukraine at the Paralympic Games. This year he even took part in the qualifying round of the Invincibles Games. But despite the good result in swimming and archery – did not go further. Yes, I know Sasha, he will never give up and will go to the goal step by step.