Love, war and loss: How one soldier in Ukraine hopes to be made whole again

Ukrainian soldier Andrii Smolenskyi, severely wounded during conflict in his homeland, is on a journey to recovery with the help of his wife and ongoing medical interventions.

The immediate impact: Smolenskyi lost both of his arms and eyes in an artillery blast.
* When he regained consciousness, he couldn’t see or speak due to injuries and for a while, it took him time to realize the extent of his current condition.
* His wife, Alina Smolenska, traveled to be by his side right after he woke up from a coma.

Current situation: As a soldier who has lost multiple limbs, Smolenskyi’s situation is not unique in Ukraine.
* An estimated 7,000 to 10,000 wounded Ukrainian soldiers reportedly need prosthetics due to war injuries, according to James Vandersea, director of upper extremity prosthetics at Medical Center Orthotics and Prosthetics (MCOP).
* The Wall Street Journal reported that between 20,000 and 50,000 Ukrainian soldiers may have lost limbs since the war began.

Action for recovery: Various programs and centers are working hard to meet the demand for caring for amputees.
* Operation Renew Prosthetics, launched in collaboration between nonprofits Future for Ukraine, United Help Ukraine, Revived Soldiers Ukraine, and MCOP, has already cared for a dozen patients with amputations in 2022 and aims to help another 24 this year.
* However, providing care and prosthetic devices is costly and needs significant funding support.

Personal perspective: Both Andrii and Alina remain hopeful in their journey towards Andrii’s recovery.
* They are currently exploring potential treatments like optic prosthetics and bionic eyes to restore Andrii’s sight.
* Andrii aims to start hard personally on his way to rehabilitation, to then share the path forward with his fellow wounded comrades in Ukraine.

View original article on NPR

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