**Ukraine’s Unlikely Heroes: Surviving War and Disability**
December 10, 2024
Serhiy Petchenko is a 42-year-old Ukrainian man who lost both hands while defending his country from Russian invaders in June 2023. After surviving the brutal battle for Bakhmut, he suffered an injury on a railway incident further from the front line.
The amputation left Serhiy feeling helpless and desperate. His wife, Anna, had to care for him 24/7 for six months. But with the help of prosthetic hands and full rehabilitation at the Superhumans Center, a private clinic in Ukraine, Serhiy was able to regain his independence.
**A New Life**
Serhiy is now opening a brand-new café in Lviv, Ukraine’s western city. He smiles widely, his new prosthetic hands by his side, as he talks about his journey. “What helped us survive is our love,” he says.
The Superhumans Center has provided Serhiy and many others like him with the chance to return to normal life. The center offers full rehabilitation services, including prosthetic limbs, to those who have lost limbs in the war.
**A Growing Problem**
According to the Ukrainian Health Ministry, at least 50,000 Ukrainians have lost limbs in nearly three years of war. Many amputations are the result of delays in evacuation from the battlefield. Olga Rudnieva, CEO and co-founder of the Superhumans Center, says that Ukraine will become “the country of people with disabilities”.
**Empowering Trauma**
Rudnieva believes that trauma can be empowering, not just disabling. She has turned some celebrities into supporters, including British adventurer Bear Grylls and singer Sting.
The Superhumans Center supplements Ukraine’s military hospitals and clinics, which are overloaded with wounded soldiers from the 3,200km long front line. Since its opening in April 2023, over 1,000 patients have received treatment here – both military and civilian, adults and children.
**Stories of Hope**
One of Rudnieva’s patients is Olena, a young woman who lost her leg in an explosion. She uses a leg from the rehabilitation room but will soon get one of her own. When she gets it, she wants to go for a walk without any rush or aim, just to recall how it feels.
**Supporting Families**
Rudnieva’s work has taught her to value life as never before and to stop fearing death. She remembers the stories of her patients, including their wives and husbands, parents, and pre-war jobs. Some even come to her for advice on whether to divorce or not.
**A New Era**
Ukrainian civil society quickly rallied around to support the war effort and keep society going while the country fought for its life. There are now other private rehabilitation centers, ambulances, and taxis that help evacuate people from half-destroyed towns, food services for refugees, and many other initiatives.
Women have played a key role in these efforts, taking over responsibilities as men went away to fight or became fighters themselves. Rudnieva is proud of the resilience shown by Ukrainian women during this war.
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