“Above It All — Or How No One Can Take Away Your Dreams, Unless You Let Them”

Prologue

This is a true story.

He didn’t ask for much. Just a chance to feel free again — even if only in the sky.
When I met Valik, he was only 22. But he had already given more than most people give in a lifetime. He had lost his right leg. He had survived wounds that would have broken many — but not him. What struck me most wasn’t the loss. It was his calm. His focus. His unshakable spirit.
He became the first amputee veteran to fly with Wings4Heroes. He is — from head to toe — the man you see in our logo. And we will never forget him.
On February 9, 2022, he turned twenty. Thirteen days later, the full-scale war began — and he volunteered to defend Ukraine.
He started with drones, operating from a safer distance. But it wasn’t enough for him. He pushed to be transferred to the front lines and waited five months to join an assault brigade — “the real patriots,” he told me. The ones who don’t retreat. The ones who don’t hide behind civilians.
I asked him if he understood what he was getting into. He said: “Flying drones, I had a 5% chance of being killed. On the front line, it was over 95%. But deep down inside, I felt it was the right thing to do.”
Then I asked him, “Knowing what you know now — what would you choose to do?” He said: “The same.” This book begins after that.
After the fire.
After the loss.
After we met.
After I showed up and kept my promise.
After he flew.
This isn’t just a story about war.
It’s a story about courage, loyalty, and walking the path — no matter how painful, how lonely, or how long — until you get there. Wherever “there” may be. This story proves that even when (almost) everything is taken from you, your dream still remains. And when you keep moving forward, one day, you won’t just live your dream— you’ll rise Above İt All!