We live in Chicago. That is, where there is no war. Where the days are calm. Where the nights are peaceful. Where deadly shells do not fly over us. Where enemy drones do not hunt us. Where the threat of being buried under the ruins of our own home does not loom due to a Muscovite missile strike. Where, finally, there is no frontline where our incredible defenders hold back the hated Muscovite, finding themselves one breath away from death. Or — from losing their health. Sometimes — a very serious loss. Sometimes — such severe injuries that it seems closer to death than to life. And yet they cling to it. To life. Because they are still so young... And so much remains unfulfilled...

Now they walk the path of their fate as special people. Special not just because the war has left terrible marks, scars, and horrific injuries on their bodies. They are special because they did not give up. They did not succumb, having survived physical and moral pain, despair, disbelief, disappointment. They, despite everything, want to find themselves in life. And we all can, we must, we are simply obliged to help them in this.

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This is what Ukrainians with caring hearts and sincere souls, living in America (and not only) — and particularly in Chicago — are doing. Those people for whom, for example, the charitable foundation "Protez Foundation" and other charitable foundations have become like family members they want to help, whom they want to support. After all, these foundations bring Ukrainian defenders with particularly severe injuries to America for treatment and prosthetics, and in Ukraine, they open prosthetic rehabilitation centers where specialists trained by the foundations also bring injured boys and girls back to life. And there are many, very many of them. According to approximate estimates — about 60 thousand. Therefore, the queue for prosthetics is incredibly long. And the war continues. And every day adds new tragedies to this number. Moreover, it must be admitted: Ukraine was not ready for such a challenge, for such a number of severely wounded with amputations. And here international charitable foundations come to the rescue. And here we all come to the rescue with financial support — those who understand someone else's pain, who want to share someone else's misfortune.

Last Saturday, the charitable foundation "Protez Foundation" held a Thanksgiving Evening in Chicago — a truly touching meeting to which those who have been helping its specialists (and continue to do so) save, treat, and heal Ukrainian warriors throughout the nearly four years of the foundation's existence were invited. Our city was chosen for this not by chance. Although the foundation itself is "registered" in Minneapolis (Minnesota), its representatives, along with almost every new group of wounded (and there have already been 26), who come to America, also visit Chicago. Because here — there is a strong Ukrainian community. Because here — there are powerful Ukrainian churches. Because here — there are incredible people whose hearts are filled with love and Christian mercy.

The meeting took place in the cozy auditorium of St. Joseph the Betrothed Church. For the hospitably open doors and incredible organizational support of the evening — sincere gratitude to the parish priest Father Mykola Buryadnyk, the sisterhood and brotherhood of the church, the members of the Cyril and Methodius community, who, in addition to a heartfelt reception, together with the restaurants "Chocolate" and "Magic Jug", with the support of Euro Homemade Bakery and the Ukrainian Family Daley store, also organized a delicious treat.

There was an incredible sense of unity in the hall. Primarily because here — and to the meeting itself, and to its blessing — were invited priests from Orthodox and Greek Catholic churches, as well as spiritual leaders of the Ukrainian Seventh-day Adventist Church and the Ukrainian Pentecostal Christian Church (perhaps for the first time in Chicago's history, all together — under one roof). The geography of these churches united Chicago, Palatine, Bensenville, Richmond, Bloomingdale, Palos Park, Milwaukee (Wisconsin), Munster (Indiana). And it was incredibly touching. Because love and mercy know no geography, borders, or denominational affiliation. They either exist or they don't. It's good if they do. As in the case of all the churches that contribute to helping the "Protez Foundation" — in their services, at festivals, at creative meetings in parishes. It is there that monetary collections are held for the foundation, and hence — to help the wounded soldiers.

However, it must be emphasized: if the gratitude certificates from the "Protez Foundation" were received at the meeting by the heads of church communities, it must be understood that they were simultaneously addressed to them and to all their parishioners, all the congregants of Ukrainian churches who do not bypass the charity collection box with their donations. Who do not doubt: "will my dollar (two, or five, or ten) help the wounded?" — They will help. They will help a lot. Collected together, those dollars-two-five will give someone a hand, someone a leg, and someone — faith that life continues. In a slightly different dimension, with slightly different possibilities, but — it continues.

And for this — a deep bow to others, besides the churches, participants of the Thanksgiving dinner, who were representatives of public organizations, business structures, leaders of creative teams: each of them considers it a matter of honor and Christian duty to provide help to those who need it.

Therefore, the warmest words of gratitude were addressed to those present by the co-founders of the "Protez Foundation" Yuriy Aroshidze and Yakiv Hradinar. They, in fact, also spoke about the foundation's activities. About the fact that in almost four years of its existence, 1005 patients have been fitted with prosthetics. That 2052 prostheses have been manufactured and installed, as some of the wounded have double amputations of arms or legs. Or they have no arms, legs, or eyes at all. Or severe injuries to internal organs... That is why every dollar of help is important. That is why the announced figure is so important: as of today, the contribution of the Ukrainian and American community of Chicago to the "Protez Foundation" amounts to over 1 million dollars.

Not the least role in this process — in the process of meeting our soldiers on the American continent, in arranging their living conditions, in organizing fundraising, in social adaptation, in personal assistance to wounded defenders — is played by the volunteers of the "Protez Foundation", who work in different states, in different cities. For example, every group of warriors who come to Chicago from Minneapolis is always accompanied, and therefore has already become familiar here, by Pavlo Kuryntsky and his wife Lyudmyla — a couple with big hearts, for whom caring for wounded boys and girls, for injured children has become an integral part of their sacrificial life.

And if we talk about Chicago volunteers, then among them, first of all, we should name the owner of Dolynka Ukrainian-American Consulting, the owner of UA Chicago radio and the "Surma" newspaper Volodymyr Dolynka. Mr. Volodymyr contributed the most to the Thanksgiving Evening we are discussing today. He is a person for whom 24 hours a day is not enough when it comes to helping others. He is a person who is not ashamed of his own tears when meeting with severely wounded warriors, and would give his last to ease their pain, to alleviate their misfortune.

He is a person more than frank: "I have no children of my own, so each of these wounded boys and girls is like my children." He is a person who, where something too important and too principled is at stake, may sometimes express himself not quite delicately, not quite restrainedly, but... We need more of those who do as much as he does — for the Ukrainian community, for Ukrainian defenders, for wounded warriors, and simply — for Ukraine!

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And he is grateful to his office staff, who diligently carry out all the work and understand: if the boss is not on site, then he is where he is needed more at that moment. And he is grateful to the team of girl volunteers, good fairies, who put aside all personal matters when they need to meet the boys in Chicago, when they need to take care of their accommodation and food, organize trips to clinics, churches, sightseeing tours for them.

Isn't that why the information that the volunteers of the foundation Volodymyr Dolynka and Maryana Babiy (an extremely active and extremely dedicated woman to the volunteer cause) received Certificates recognizing them as official representatives of the "Protez Foundation" in Illinois was met with sincere applause by those present?

What else interesting happened at the mentioned Thanksgiving meeting? I'm afraid to miss something because everything made an incredibly poignant and touching impression.

The performance of the Anthems, the main national songs of America (because we live here) and Ukraine (because there — our roots, our thoughts, prayers, and our help fly there) — was professionally handled by the students of the "Oberig" vocal studio (led by Olga Dopilko). The welcoming words of the priests of various parishes and the Consul General of Ukraine in Chicago, Serhiy Koledov. A moment of silence for those who fell in battles on Ukrainian soil, its defenders, and warm words of gratitude to Maria Yavorska, present at the meeting — the mother of Mykhailo Yavorsky, a soldier with the call sign "Chicago," who died in Ukraine.

Several video clips about the activities of the "Protez Foundation" in America and Ukraine, about the process of restoring the boys. A heartfelt performance by musician Mykola Stefuryak — his professional playing on the cimbalom returned some of those present with thoughts to their native Ukrainian land, to its invisible strings that resonate in our souls with the music of love, loyalty, and kindness. And with his songs with deep lyrics — about longing for home, about the philosophy of the human soul and relationships between people, about the ability to see the world not only with eyes but also with hearts — the Ukrainian pop artist OLIVAN impressed those present.

An original moment of the meeting was that for all its participants, commemorative medallions were laid out on the tables, which everyone could take with them as a memory of this event, pondering the meaningful inscriptions on both sides: "Unity, hope, God" and "United by gratitude — united by purpose." Those present were interested in examining the plot paintings of Volodymyr Deka, being amazed at how warmth of thoughts and feelings can be conveyed in metal.

There were also camera flashes: photo master Petro Kovtun captured the most interesting moments of the meeting for history. And there was a box for charitable donations, into which about 38 thousand dollars were collected (another 32 thousand was transferred to the foundation by business owners shortly before the Thanksgiving evening).

By the way, the next morning, on Sunday, our defenders attended a service at St. Joseph the Betrothed Church, where almost 14 thousand dollars were also collected for the foundation. And on Saturday morning, they had a warm meeting with the teachers and students of the Ukrainian Studies School in Palatine, receiving mutual satisfaction and much-needed moral support from it.

And above all, the spirit of family warmth hovered over the Thanksgiving Evening. No wonder Yuriy Aroshidze and Yakiv Hradinar, the founders of the foundation, call it exactly that — the Protez Foundation family, because those who work to support the foundation are considered one family. And in this family, the wounded defenders who come to America for salvation should feel at home.

Of course, at the meeting held, they were also in the spotlight — these amazing guys, at whose table there were so many smiles, so much good humor, probably like no other. They have already learned to hide their pain. But it is there, that pain — if not in the injured body, then in the deeply wounded soul by what they have experienced. And each of them has their own story. Special. The one that lasts a lifetime...

Maksym, 25 years old. He had to be at war for only five days. An enemy drone flew in. Now the guy has no right arm, right leg, and right eye.

Illia. He is only 21. Fought for a year and a half. Got caught under a drone drop. High amputation of both legs.

Oleksandr. Blown up in a car by an anti-tank mine. The explosion took both his legs and left him practically blind, causing severe injuries to his face and eyes.

Sashko — a warrior who went through hell, who returned from the other world. This is about him. Behind him — over 130 operations, ahead — a whole life. Even if on prosthetics instead of legs, even if with almost continuous scars on the body, but — LIFE! With a beloved wife and a little daughter-sunshine — this is so important!

Artem, whom everyone affectionately called Tyoma. He has no arms from the shoulders. How did it happen? He says: "I was fending off a drone." And if he hadn't fended it off? "Then the drone would have just killed me," he says. "I was grabbing the opportunity to live..."

Ruslan. Next to him — his wife. She skewers a piece of food on a fork, carefully feeding her husband. He also has no arms. But she remembers their warmth. And their strength. And their support — strong, masculine. Now she has to be his hands...

These are just isolated stories of those whom the "Protez Foundation" has returned earlier or is now returning to as full a life as possible. Whom you all are returning to as full a life as possible — those who throw their donations into the charity fund boxes, who provide assistance to Ukraine and its defenders in other ways, who approach the boys just to hug and talk, who directly give them a bill or two, joking: "For ice cream" or "For cigarettes"...

Thank you, good people, for the sincerity of your hearts, which you share with the warriors. Thank you, warriors, for the smiles you share with us and give us life lessons. After all, your smiles are a testimony of strength. A testimony of faith. A testimony of God's presence among us. Because only with God are Love and Victory possible.