Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers have lost their limbs. Many of them, like Alexander Kulyk, a Lviv native and former entrepreneur, are now undergoing rehabilitation at the UNBROKEN National Rehabilitation Centre in Lviv.
“It happened near Bachmut, when I was launching a drone and was hit by an enemy shell,” the Ukrainian veteran told Kurier. “The enemy shell exploded — and so did my drone. Everything fell apart in my hands… Now I’m learning to live with a prosthetic arm and I think I’m doing quite well… Compared to what’s usually available on the market, this prosthesis has a good lift capacity, which means you can play sports. There are grip patterns that allow you to ride a bike or even drive a car.”
During a mission organised by the Polish Open Dialogue Foundation, Alexander was gifted a new bionic prosthesis called Zeus.
“Since the beginning of the invasion, the Open Dialogue Foundation has delivered aid worth over forty-two million zlotys to the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” said Marcin Mycielski of the Open Dialogue Foundation. “However, we have also been helping Ukraine’s defenders on the front line. Now, we have opted to help the veterans who have returned from there. That’s why we invited Aether Biomedical — an international company based in Poznań, with Polish, American, and Indian roots — which has developed one of the world’s most advanced bionic prosthetic hands.”
Piotr Krukowski, a representative of Aether Biomedical, appeared holding a suitcase with his bionic prosthetic arm.
“My motivation is extremely personal and comes from the fact that I’m in the same situation,” Piotr explained. “I’ve gone through it myself — I’m an amputee and I know how tough the journey can be. I’ve been using a prosthetic arm for fifteen years, and with the knowledge and experience I’ve gained, I want to support other amputees — especially war veterans here in Ukraine — in getting back to a full and active life more quickly.”
Aether Biomedical has already fitted around 70 bionic prosthetic arms in Lviv, mainly with the help of the Superhumans Centre. Unfortunately, the war has increased the demand for prosthetic arms, which are needed not only by the military but also by civilians.
Oleg Bilanski, director of the UNBROKEN National Rehabilitation Centre in Lviv, who showed the guests from Poland around, told Kurier:
“Poland has supported us since the beginning of the invasion and hostilities, starting with educational support. Polish specialists actively cooperate as part of joint teams. Poland also allocated significant funds for the reconstruction of the Centre, and thanks to the support of Warsaw, Gdańsk and other Polish cities, we were able to carry out this reconstruction and purchase the necessary equipment to ensure high-quality rehabilitation and treatment of patients. Today’s visit reaffirms our continued cooperation in the development of modern prosthetic technologies, which is extremely important to us, as comprehensive support helps streamline and accelerate the recovery process,” concluded the director of the UNBROKEN Centre.
Thanks to international support and cutting-edge technology, veterans like Oleksandr have a real chance of regaining their health and returning to normal life — even after such difficult wartime experiences.
Source: kuriergalicyjski.com
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