Who is Rud?
Artist. Volunteer. Tactical medicine instructor. Soldier. 🪖
He was drawn to art from childhood. At fifteen, he discovered his lifelong passion—dance. Thanks to an audition for a advertisement, he also discovered his talent for acting. He has played dozens of roles—bandits, hooligans, and soldiers. At the time, he had no idea that he would take on one of these roles in real life. When the invasion began, he applied to join the army. He was rejected because he lacked military skills. So he became a volunteer.
"It was morning. My mother woke me up and said, 'Son, full-scale war has broken out.' Shortly afterwards, the phone rang: 'Friend, we need help.' I asked, 'What happened? How can I help?' And that's when volunteering came into my life."
📞 At first, it was individual phone calls: requests to deliver insulin, secure medicines, logistics, personal assistance. Gradually, the assistance turned into organized humanitarian distribution and connecting various organizations. At the same time, he was learning tactical medicine. During his travels, he was repeatedly caught in attacks and realized that first aid knowledge could be a matter of life and death. He later applied these skills in the Navy.
How did tactical medicine come into his life?
"I was on the line of contact many times and got into dangerous, unpleasant situations. At the time, we didn't take it too seriously—it just happened, and we moved on. But then came some really adrenaline-fueled moments. I knew I had a first aid kit, and that the guys around me had them too, but I was 100% sure that none of us actually knew how to use them properly. So I turned to an organization that taught tactical medicine. They replied, "Unfortunately, we don't have the capacity right now; we're teaching soldiers." At the same time, however, they said they needed instructors. I started going with them to the training ground and teaching soldiers tactical medicine. We also went to places where it was dangerous. That's when I realized that this was my mission."
Who will you help?
❤️🩹 Thanks to your financial donations, we will help the Ukrainian volunteer organization TakMed SOUTH, which focuses on teaching tactical medicine and saving lives in wartime conditions. It was founded in March 2022 in response to the acute need for practical first aid knowledge among soldiers and civilians. The organization trains soldiers, defense units, rescuers, special forces, chaplains, volunteers, educators, and civilians. TakMed SOUTH is the only organization of its kind (together with its sister organizations TakMed: NORTH, EAST, WEST) that, due to its high level of professionalism, falls directly under the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The training is based on real-life war experience and international standards TCCC (NATO), BLS, and Stop the Bleed. Since its inception, TakMed JIH instructors, together with Rud, have trained more than 20,000 people who now know how to act in critical situations and save lives.
Main areas of activity:
- Tactical medicine and first aid training – practical courses in the field, military units, schools, and civilian centers
- Instructor training and certification – creating a sustainable education system in line with international standards
- Courses for teachers and educational institutions – focused on child safety, evacuation, and crisis management
- Charity courses for the civilian population - increasing society's preparedness for war and emergency situations
TakMed SOUTH focuses not only on teaching, but also on providing practical equipment to those who help on the front line:
- standardization and distribution of individual first aid kits
- provision of high-quality tourniquets and medical supplies
- production and distribution of pressure bandages
- equipping tactical medical backpacks
- support for the evacuation of the wounded (stretchers, ambulances, and evacuation vehicles)
- logistical support for instructor teams (vehicles, equipment)
- cooperation on mobile healthcare projects
What specifically will the money from this collection be used for?
🚐 Purchase of a living van
🔧 Necessary repairs
🚚 Transportation costs
🧾 Administrative costs
🩺 Purchase of medical supplies
Instructors from the TakMed SOUTH organization are building a culture of safety, responsibility, and preparedness. Their goal is to ensure that as many people as possible know how to keep a cool head and act in life-threatening situations – whether on the front lines, at school, or in a civilian environment.
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