Roman Kolpakov is a Russian social entrepreneur, the creator of Russia's first specialized private cab for disabled people, Invataxi, and the first social network for Orthodox Christians, Parishioners.

My story: the path to light through darkness

The setting: a turning point in life

I never thought that life could change in one moment. Before the accident, I had everything: youth, energy, ambition and plans for the future. I lived like many people of my age: work, friends, partying, rock music... Everything seemed ordinary and taken for granted.

But one moment changed everything. A car accident. I was confined to a hospital bed, completely paralyzed. I couldn't feel anything below my neck, I couldn't move a hand or a leg. Even my neck was fixed in a rigid corset.

The doctors immediately warned my mother that there was no chance of survival. I spent a total of six years in the hospital. During that time I had everything: pain, disappointment, despair. The surgeries did not help, and my condition became worse and worse. I was transferred from one clinic to another, but the doctors just left my hands in the air.

Six years in the hospital: pain, humility and faith

It was years of suffering and loneliness. Huge bedsores, tissue necrosis, contractures in my joints it is terrible to even remember. I was losing weight rapidly, up to 40 kilograms. The doctors did not disclose: there was no chance. I was prepared for the worst.

My mom was with me day and night. She gave me her life, her health, her time. After the accident, she quit her job, left all her work and literally lived in the hospital room. She slept on a chair next to my bed, took care of me, treated my wounds, made dressings, fed me from a spoon. She became my hands, my feet, my support.

Mom was an amazing person. Her strength of spirit was amazing. She never complained or cried in front of me. She always tried to smile, joke, and support me, even though I could see how hard it was for her.

She taught me patience, humility, faith. She prayed for me every day, invited a bishop to confess me, and brought me spiritual books. It was thanks to my mother that I found my way to God.

But her heart couldn't take it. In her 60th year, Mom died. She gave me all her strength, all her love, but the Lord took her to Himself. Heavenly kingdom to her.

When she was gone, I felt emptiness, pain, despair. I was ready to break. But I remembered how she believed in me, how she prayed for me, how she told me I had to live. And I decided that I would not fail her. I would live and fight because that's what she wanted.

Mom always lived for the sake of others. Her life was filled with care for her loved ones. She worked as an educator, gave her love to children, was religious, kind and patient. She taught me mercy, love for my neighbors, and faith in God. She always put the interests of others above her own.

I am thankful to God that my mother was with me, that she taught me how to live. And I am sure that she looks down on me from heaven and is glad that I didn't break down.

«God needed to stop me»

I've been thinking a lot, lying in the hospital. Why did this happen to me? I was going over my whole life in my head. It was painful to realize how many mistakes I had made, how much time I had wasted.

Before the accident, I was a rebel. A fan of heavy music, long hair, earrings in my ears, a leather jacket, partying, going out, drinking alcohol... I wanted to earn money so I could spend it on fun. Studying seemed boring, and work was just a way to make money for the next party.

But in the hospital I realized that life is not just about material pleasures. There is something more, something more meaningful. I realized that God had stopped me so that I could see it.

The love that saved me: Natalia

We had a long way to get along, we quarreled, we made up, but we never gave up. We learned to accept each other, to support each other. We were married a year and a half later, despite our parents' doubts and objections. They said, “Why would you do that? You'll break up in a month,” but we proved to everyone that love is stronger than prejudice. We were married in the temple, and we made a vow to each other before God to be together in joy and sorrow, in health and sickness.

Natalia has become my wife, my friend, my companion, my support. She believes in me, supports my projects, and works with me in Invataxi. She gave me a new life full of love and hope.

When I thought I had lost everything, love came into my life. I met Natalia at Andrei Kuraev's Orthodox forum. The first time Natalya came to my house, I came to give her medicine for a disabled girl who needed help. Then we corresponded for a long time. Gradually we came to real meetings. I didn't even expect that meeting her would change my life forever.

Invataxi: helping others

After returning home, I faced a new problem: difficulty in moving around the city in a wheelchair. At that time there was practically no accessible environment Special transportation - city social cabs had to be booked several weeks in advance, and private cab companies refused to take a wheelchair user.

Then I realized that I needed to create my own transportation service. I borrowed money from my friends, bought a used minivan, and equipped it to transport disabled people. I knew how hard it was to get around in a wheelchair, and I wanted to help others. That's how Invataxi came to be.

We started with one car, but thanks to the support of my wife Natalia, the project grew. I registered the organization, created a website, friends found out about us, and the first clients appeared. Now we have three cars, and we are trying to develop despite the difficulties.

We are working at the limit of self-sufficiency, but I know that I am doing a good deed. I can't leave people who are in the same situation that I was once in.

Orthodox dating site “Parishioners”

After the hospital, I began to use the Internet. I saw that there was no site where believers could communicate and find their other half. I decided to create such a site. This is how the website “Parishioners” came into being.

Now there are almost 74,000 members on the site. Many people write that they found their love thanks to Parishioners. My friends who met through the site already have children. I see that my labor is paying off, and that gives me strength to continue.

“Karjalis“: The Island of Hope and Peace

The goal of the project is to make the life of families with special people more active and full, to give them an opportunity to relax in an ecologically clean place, breathe healing air and feel the peace of nature. Nearby is the church of St. Seraphim of Sarov, where guests will be able to pray, confess and receive spiritual support.

The Karyalis project is being developed on donations and volunteer help. Financial support and participation of concerned people are necessary to complete the construction and improve the territory.

During our travels we became convinced that in Russia tourist services for people with limited mobility are very poorly developed. We decided to create a recreation center for adults and children with disabilities in the Lakhdenpokhsky district of Karelia. This is how our social project “Karyalis” came into being. The name combines two words: “Karya” (Karelia) and “fox”, symbolizing solitude and harmony with nature.

The project is being created on a picturesque farm in Karelia, where it is planned to host up to 50 adults and children with disabilities together with their families. Here they will be able to rest, regain their strength and find inner peace. A fully accessible environment with ramps, specialized beds and comfortable infrastructure is created with the needs of people with limited mobility in mind.

Health now and help with treatment

I believe in goodness. I believe in miracles. I ask for your help in this difficult struggle for life. Every donation you make is another chance at life. It is an opportunity to undergo treatment, to reduce pain, to improve blood flow in the head, to save sight, to breathe without pain. Thank you to everyone who responds. Your help is my hope for tomorrow.

My life is a daily struggle with pain, limitations, and fears. After the accident, I was confined to a wheelchair, unable to move or even feel my body. A C4-C5 cervical spine fracture with spinal cord rupture turned my life upside down. I couldn't move, but I didn't give up.

Constant oxygen deprivation, impaired cerebral circulation, hypoxia this is my reality. After the accident, I had a stroke that led to thrombosis of the left internal carotid artery. Now I have a severe blood flow disorder in my head, which threatens me with ischemia and infarction.

Doctors have told me that I have joint contractures that limit my every movement. I can't stand up, I can't take a step. My joints feel like they're bound by invisible chains. I have osteomyelitis in my left hip joint, and every day is a struggle with pain.

10 years ago I had surgery for resection of both hips, but the disease does not go away. Now I need craniosacral head therapy to improve blood flow in the head and reduce the risk of ischemia. One course costs 9,000 rubles, and I need to take them regularly.

Together we can do more

In order to continue helping others, I need help myself. I need a lot of money for treatment and rehabilitation, which I don't have. I also dream of developing my own projects to make people's lives better.

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