Hello,

 

I'm Luke Farkins and I'm originally from England, but over the last 4 years I have been living and working as an English teacher in Lviv, Ukraine.

 

There is no way I could have predicted what would happen when I moved to Lviv, and there is no way Stepan and his family could have imagined even in their worst nightmares what would happen to him.

 

Stepan Rak, 55, is a man of many talents. Enthusiastic beekeeper, expert coat maker, and a renovator of the historical Cossack-wooden vessel. But, most importantly, an honest and good all-round-human being and family man.

 

While helping others from one of the countless Russian missiles which hit Western Ukraine, he suffered horrific injuries. Miraculously, he survived the attack, but lost his leg and several fingers, along with suffering multiple shrapnel wounds, and spent several weeks in intensive care on a ventilator.

 

That said, Stepan's desire, fight, and determination to live as a husband, a father - including a very young daughter - and proud grandfather is unrivalled. A child to raise and a family to provide for makes Stepan's journey even harder as he takes the long road of rehabilitation.

 

The money raised will help cover medical bills, including the purchase of a prosthetic leg and help fund a family whose financial decline due to the situation is becoming critical.

 

All donations will be greatly appreciated and I hope with the help of the international community we can get Stepan smiling again.

 

Cheers

Luke