Ukrainian nurse dances in husband’s arms at wedding after losing both legs in explosion [Video]

• A 23-year-old nurse lost both her legs in a landmine explosion in Ukraine. 
• The nurse was walking her usual path to her home when the explosion happened.
• Both of the nurse’s legs have been amputated due to the explosion.

---

On Monday, a couple in Ukraine experienced a heartfelt first dance, with the husband holding the bride in his arms after she lost both legs in a landmine explosion.

According to Reuters, Oksana Balandina and Viktor Vasyliv, both 23, married in a hospital in Lviv, marking a bright moment in what has otherwise been a difficult time.

According to the Lviv Medical Association, Balandina was injured in a landmine explosion on March 27 while travelling “on a familiar path” to their home in Lysychansk.

During those hectic seconds, she was able to alert Vasyliv, who was walking behind her unharmed.

“I only managed to shout to him [Vasyliv]: ‘Honey, look!’ ” Balandina told Reuters.  

Balandina was able to plan out their next moves after Vasyliv confessed he “did not know what to do” following the explosion.

Vasyliv told Reuters:

“If it was not for Oksana, I don’t know what would have happened. She is so strong.”

According to Sky News, Balandina has had four procedures since then, and both of her legs, as well as four fingers on her left hand, have been amputated.

The couple drove to Lviv, which is less than 50 miles from the Polish border, after being evacuated to Dnipro, where she also received treatment.

Los Angeles Times reported that the couple married in a civil ceremony on Monday at the Lviv Surgery Center.

The Lviv Medical Association told Sky News of the couple’s wedding:

“Life should not be postponed until later.”

They added that in the six years that the couple was together, they had never found the time to get married.

The modest celebrations were attended only by patients and volunteers, but thanks to a video released on the hospital’s social media, the world can now see their first dance.

Balandina, who was dressed in a white gown and a pink flower crown, was seen in the video wrapping her arms around her husband’s neck as he held her up in his arms. As their dance came to a close, they kissed as the audience applauded and roared.

The bride, whose 7-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter are staying with their grandparents in central Ukraine, told Reuters she expects to visit Germany soon. She hopes to acquire prosthetics and continue her recovery.

Source: People