"I'm alive!" The tweet from the account of Olesya Zhukovskaya, a 21-year-old Ukrainian medical volunteer, caused a collective sigh of relief among antigovernment protesters in Ukraine.
Some 24 hours earlier, she had been pictured with a wound to her neck, apparently from police sniper fire, amid violence that left some 50 protesters dead on February 20 alone.
Her last tweet had said simply, "I'm dying."
Here is a chronology of events, including initial rumors on Twitter that she had been confirmed killed:
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Shortly after early morning sniper fire on protesters near Kyiv's Independence Square a picture of an unidentified volunteer medic appeared on social media.
Still, there was no confirmed information. Until this:
Some 24 hours earlier, she had been pictured with a wound to her neck, apparently from police sniper fire, amid violence that left some 50 protesters dead on February 20 alone.
Her last tweet had said simply, "I'm dying."
Here is a chronology of events, including initial rumors on Twitter that she had been confirmed killed:
************************************
Shortly after early morning sniper fire on protesters near Kyiv's Independence Square a picture of an unidentified volunteer medic appeared on social media.
Snipers shooting even at women, journalists and medics in Kiev. pic.twitter.com/qLBMhy4Urd
— Russian Market (@russian_market) February 20, 2014
Users soon recognized her as Olesya Zhukovskaya, who had tweeted, "I'm dying."
Я вмираю
— Olesya Zhukovskaya (@OlesyaZhukovska) February 20, 2014
Social media users then spread an earlier image of the smiling activist by protester-constructed barricades.
she's just 21 year's old. #Євромайдан #Евромайдан #Euromaidan pic.twitter.com/XAhbnXKTgw
— ЄВРОМАЙДАН (@euromaidan) February 20, 2014
Soon, rumors spread that Zhukovskaya had been confirmed dead.
По espreso.tv только что сказали что умерла Олеся Жуковская, медик с Майдана
— Бородач (@da_platonov) February 20, 2014
Волонтер медицинской службы Майдана Олеся Жуковская, что получила ранение в шею от снайпера, умерла. Фото раненой о.. http://t.co/ZwJg40CHcE
— Русские за Майдан! (@maidanru) February 20, 2014
But then a reporter for the "Ukrainska Pravda" newspaper said a doctor had told her otherwise. The reporter, Halyna Tytysh, said she asked a doctor about her case. The doctor said her injury was "serious" but that she was likely to survive.
Post by Halyna Tytysh.
Still, there was no confirmed information. Until this:
Я жива! Дякую всім,хто підтримує та молиться за мене! / Я в лікарні.стан поки що стабільний!
— Olesya Zhukovskaya (@OlesyaZhukovska) February 21, 2014
Translation: "I'm Alive! Thank you to everyone who supported and prayed for me! I'm in the hospital, and currently in stable condition."
