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Four years of war in Ukraine have left tens of thousands dead and many more with life-altering injuries, creating a new generation of amputees and wounded civilians who must adapt to bodies and lives forever changed.As Russia’s full-scale invasion grinds on, each day brings new casualties from drone strikes, artillery fire and missile attacks. Beyond the battlefield toll, the war has forced Ukrainian society to confront long-standing attitudes about disability and inclusion.At the Superhumans Center, a rehabilitation clinic in Lviv, Ukraine, that’s supported by Nebraska-born philanthropist Howard Buffett, staff members are working not only to fit prosthetics and provide therapy, but also to challenge stigma that advocates say predates the war.“For the Soviets after World War II, the picture of the country that won the war couldn’t contain people with disabilities,” said Olga Rudnieva, the center’s CEO. “So the idea was we isolate these people, and the picture is fine.”Rudnieva said the war has made disability impossible to ignore. With thousands of soldiers and civilians losing limbs, sustaining burns or suffering other permanent injuries, disability is now visible in nearly every community.“Our main goal of Superhumans is actually to bring superhumans on the streets,” she said.Patients at the center undergo surgeries, receive prosthetic limbs and participate in physical and psychological rehabilitation. Many are young service members who were wounded on the front lines in eastern and southern Ukraine.Eddy Scott, a British medic who lost an arm and a leg and who works with patients at the clinic, said recovery often begins with acceptance.“You are injured, life is going to be different,” Scott said. “I will never clap again.”But he and other staff members frame rehabilitation as empowerment rather than limitation.“It’s not we’re building a country for disabled veterans,” Scott said. “Disabled veterans are building the country for themselves.”As the war enters its fifth year, Ukraine faces the long-term challenge of caring for a large population of wounded veterans and civilians. Advocates say rebuilding the country will require not only repairing destroyed infrastructure, but also ensuring cities, workplaces and public institutions are accessible to those who sacrificed their health in the conflict. KETV NewsWatch 7’s Capital Bureau Chief John Grinvalds took an independent trip to Ukraine in December. This is his second story in his “Winter of War” series. Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |
Four years of war in Ukraine have left tens of thousands dead and many more with life-altering injuries, creating a new generation of amputees and wounded civilians who must adapt to bodies and lives forever changed.
As Russia’s full-scale invasion grinds on, each day brings new casualties from drone strikes, artillery fire and missile attacks. Beyond the battlefield toll, the war has forced Ukrainian society to confront long-standing attitudes about disability and inclusion.
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At the Superhumans Center, a rehabilitation clinic in Lviv, Ukraine, that’s supported by Nebraska-born philanthropist Howard Buffett, staff members are working not only to fit prosthetics and provide therapy, but also to challenge stigma that advocates say predates the war.
“For the Soviets after World War II, the picture of the country that won the war couldn’t contain people with disabilities,” said Olga Rudnieva, the center’s CEO. “So the idea was we isolate these people, and the picture is fine.”
Rudnieva said the war has made disability impossible to ignore. With thousands of soldiers and civilians losing limbs, sustaining burns or suffering other permanent injuries, disability is now visible in nearly every community.
“Our main goal of Superhumans is actually to bring superhumans on the streets,” she said.
Patients at the center undergo surgeries, receive prosthetic limbs and participate in physical and psychological rehabilitation. Many are young service members who were wounded on the front lines in eastern and southern Ukraine.
Eddy Scott, a British medic who lost an arm and a leg and who works with patients at the clinic, said recovery often begins with acceptance.
“You are injured, life is going to be different,” Scott said. “I will never clap again.”
But he and other staff members frame rehabilitation as empowerment rather than limitation.
“It’s not we’re building a country for disabled veterans,” Scott said. “Disabled veterans are building the country for themselves.”
As the war enters its fifth year, Ukraine faces the long-term challenge of caring for a large population of wounded veterans and civilians. Advocates say rebuilding the country will require not only repairing destroyed infrastructure, but also ensuring cities, workplaces and public institutions are accessible to those who sacrificed their health in the conflict.
KETV NewsWatch 7’s Capital Bureau Chief John Grinvalds took an independent trip to Ukraine in December. This is his second story in his “Winter of War” series.
Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.
NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |
