“I’m a fighter,” saysa former Ukrainian soldier who fought to defend his country against Russian invasion but who is now paraplegic after a car crash in Co Wicklow.
Mykola “Nick” Polishchuk (44) has spent the last 9½ months fighting to stay alive following the incident on January 6th. He was a front-seat passenger in the car being driven by his wife Olena (36), along with their children Mykola (11) and Vladlien (4), who were back-seat passengers travelling to see Ukrainian friends living close to their current home in Tinahely.
Speaking with the help of interpreter Mariusz Plesniar, Mykola explained that when the car hit ice “life became a big question mark” both for him and his family. All four were wearing seatbelts when the incident occurred.
The Polishchuks lived close to Kiev and moved to Ireland in April 2022, as Mykola’s sister Inna had been living in Arklow for more than 20 years. “I had visited her here and I liked Ireland very much,” Mykola said.
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Mykola, was a major with the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) when war first broke out between Ukraine and pro-Russia separatists in 2014 and served over a three-year period until he was seriously injured in the war. This resulted in him being honourably discharged in 2019 as he was found by medics to be no longer fit to remain in the military.
When Russian president Vladimir Putin declared “special military operations” in February 2022 against Ukraine, the Polishchuks decided to stay in the country.
But in April of that year, after having to hide in the basement of their home and watching the “deep trauma being inflicted” on their children, both Mykola and Olena were pushed to make the difficult decision to leave. The Russian army was located 5km from their home when they fled. They drove, instead of taking the train due to the onslaught of bombings of the railways, to western Ukraine, then on to Romania where they boarded a flight to Dublin.
“Inna kept willing us to leave and come to Ireland to be with her so we did as we were left with a life-or-death situation,” said Mykola.
“We had become very settled here in our accommodation in Tinahely and were planning our lives around settling here. When the car hit ice, it went into a ditch and that changed everything. Thankfully Olena and the children were not injured, only myself, but even I did not look injured. There was no blood or visible injuries but whatever way the car crashed I hit my head on stones,” Mykola said, with the help of Plesniar.
“I was taken to St Vincent’s University Hospital by ambulance and then transferred to the Mater hospital for urgent surgery” due to him sustaining a C4 ASIA spinal cord injury along with damage to his bowel.
For the past three months he has been receiving rehabilitation in the National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH) and is now in a powered wheelchair. Breaking down in tears, Mykola continues: “I’ve been told by doctors here there is no more they can do for me but I’m now able to stand for five minutes with help and I have some small movement in my limbs.”
He is due to be discharged from the hospital in Dún Laoghaire, Dublin, next Thursday, back to St Vincent’s hospital.
Under the Treatment Abroad Scheme, the HSE has approved treatment for Mykola in the Anagennisi Recovery and Physical Rehabilitation Centre close to Thessaloniki, Greece, which he and Olena plan to travel to on September 29th for three months of Smart Rehabilitation, which is multidisciplinary treatment.
“The cost of the treatment is €50,000 and so far we have managed to raise almost €2,000 but our circle of friends is small and those back in Ukraine want to help but are earning very little,” explained Olena.
The family have to pay for the treatment upfront, with a €25,000 payment followed by two payments of €15,000 while Mykola is at the centre.
Their two sons will be looked after by Olena’s mother, Valentyna, while the couple are in Greece. Adding to their burden, their current accommodation will no longer be available in November and then they will be moved to a hotel room “which is not appropriate for Mykola’s care needs”, added Olena.
A fundraising page has been set up by Olena on the website iDonate.
“I’m not sorry we moved to Ireland after what happened. I will walk again – I’m sure,” said Mykola. “There are no other options. I’m a fighter and I’m strong and getting stronger.”
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