From Ohio University to First-Aid Kits for Ukrainian Soldiers… A Blueprint for Life Values
As soon as Lesyk Yakymchuk heard that Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24th, he made a decision to return Ukraine and leave his teaching assistant position at Ohio University. He had been teaching classes in media and communication to American students, but within six days, he was back at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, his alma mater.
With him was Lena Zenchenko. His brother Taras Yakymchuk, also a graduate of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, was living in Poland and ready to help with logistics, and friends at the university were in place to be part of a First-Aid network.
This is a story about values and love of country, a story of choices, a story about leaving an interesting position in the United States and providing first-aid assistance to soldiers on the frontline.
As a graduate in history and then a master’s degree in media and communication, Lesyk’s education consisted of much more than academics. Values, love of family, friends, and country, and a sense of duty motivated him to make life choices.
As soon as he arrived in Kyiv, Lesyk organized supplies of tactical medicine to the hotspots of battles. By now, he organized a team that has made 5000 first-aid kits to rescue the lives of wounded warriors.
But his story does not begin now. Before he left for the United States for a position as teaching assistant, he founded “Linza Agency” http://linza.agency/, where he established a team for communication, media, and production. The agency completed many high-quality advertisement projects, such as for “Dostupno UA”, and a documentary for “Hurtobus”.
The war changed life for every Ukrainian. During our conversation, Lesyk shared his memories. He recalled, “We traveled all over the country to make a movie about small cultural spaces. In fact, this is such a strange story for me, because six months ago we filmed an episode about Kramatorsk as a city of opportunities, as a city where you should live, as a city that is developing. It was very ironic for me to come back there now as a volunteer. I mean the irony of life: first you make a positive video about a developing city and encourage people to come there, and then, you return to the same city in the middle of the war.”
Lesyk’s life changed on the 24th of February. He told me in our interview, “For me, it was a shock because I was many miles away from home and there was nothing I could do. My mom was in Kyiv, there was a lot of disturbing news. For the first two-three days I tried to activate the community around me at the university, showing everyone the map of Ukraine. But I realized that the situation was becoming more threatening, and I needed to leave and return to Ukraine. It was quite an emotional decision”.
Lesyk admitted he had no plan. Of course, he thought that he would do something helpful, but he did not think that it would turn into such a huge project. When asked why he chose tactical medicine as the main direction of help, he remembered that what impressed him the most was a four-hour course at a military base in the USA.
One of Lesyk’s friends arranged a brief First-Aid course for him to learn urgent care to save lives. He shared the experience that made a lasting impression on him. “I needed to know how to save myself. I was struck by the fact that you must put on a tourniquet in 20 seconds, otherwise, you will lose consciousness, bleed, and die. 20 seconds! Putting on a tourniquet in 20 seconds is almost impossible for a person who is not prepared. I was really shocked by the realization that death can happen so quickly if you don't know what to do and you don't have good equipment. I realized that this was exactly what I had to do,” Lesyk told me.
Currently, he has 8-10 people on his team, and collaboration with the KMA Gift Shop, where you can buy a T-shirt and part of the money will go toward sewing haversacks. Dr. Serhiy Kvit, president of National University “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy”, immediately agreed to provide space for the work of the volunteers at the university.
In a few weeks, the team at NaUKMA was making individual first-aid kits known as IFAKs. They continue to deliver the kits to the frontlines, where on their last trip they found out that there were not enough well-trained people to perform the procedures to stop bleeding by using tourniquet. As a result, the team was trained and will also train soldiers to administer basic life-saving procedures in wartime conditions. For example, on June 13th, five coaches were scheduled to go to Zaporizhzhia to train one military unit on how to use the IFAKs, and as a result, 160 soldiers will be equipped with an IFAK and will be able to deal with lifesaving basic medical procedures on the frontline.
Sometimes Lesyk goes to the frontline by himself. He said, “Well, of course it's depressing. It is very depressing, and very difficult physically because it is about constantly being on the road and constant stress. It is very difficult to communicate with the soldiers. You are communicating with a person, and he merely…it can't be put into words, he is just... heavy, desolate, closed-up. But as a documentary filmmaker I have this experience, and if you talk to him for a long time he will eventually open up. That is why sometimes a conversation can be even more important than the fact that you brought the needed equipment”.
My last question to Lesyk was about his vision of Ukraine’s future and his role in it. “I don't know… as a Minister of Culture,” - he answered laughing. Then he continued: “I think that I could work to improve Ukraine's image on the world stage. That's what we should do. Generally, it relates to what I have always been doing. Probably, I could do it on a more official state level. But now Ukraine needs to be saved, so I am doing what I must do.”
Dasya Hoptar conducted the conversation with Lesyk Yakymchuk and is the author of this report.
Dasya finished her second year at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, studying Philology, with a focus on Ukrainian and English language. Dasya is a photographer who provides content to various social media platforms.
Watch OHIO WBNS10TV to hear Lesyk Yakymchuk tell his story of returning to Ukraine from Ohio University to help Ukraine’s war efforts.
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