It’s really a sad commentary on life in Ukraine today, but it’s also a necessary recognition of the reality. Today, Ukraine must care for many of its war wounded – soldiers who lost limbs in the war being waged by Russia in Ukraine’s east, as well as civilians caught in the crossfire.
As the Ukrainian Catholic Education Foundation (UCEF) notes, “With the unexpected onset of war in 2014, a crucial challenge facing Ukraine has become the modernization of the field of physical rehabilitation.” Thus, “in response to this challenge, after a feasibility study conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers, a new initiative, the Rehabilitation Center with a related course of study and training, was undertaken at UCU in 2015.”
Most recently, supporters of the Ukrainian Catholic University gathered at the well-known restaurant The Manor in South Orange, N.J., in support of this trailblazing university’s initiatives. (See the front-page story in our May 29 issue.) Alex Kuzma, UCEF chief operating officer, underscored that UCU is a “pioneering institution” that has the potential to “transform Ukrainian society.” He recognized the major donation of $100,000 by the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America toward the UCU Rehabilitation Center, specifically toward the center’s Mental Health Institute.
Dr. Boris Lushniak, former acting U.S. surgeon general and a leading international public health expert, spoke of issues related to the war in Ukraine, including trauma, stress, rehabilitation, the war wounded and internally displaced persons. He told the fund-raising gathering that there is a need for physical and occupational therapy, mental health screenings and PTSD treatment options, and that these should be made available not only to soldiers but to civilians as well. It is in response to these challenges, he pointed out, that UCU is looking ahead to developing a School of Public Health.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian National Foundation (UNF), the Markian Paslawsky Fund and the Kyiv-based International Alliance for Fraternal Assistance (IAFA) are working together to develop a modern rehabilitation space at the Lviv State Enterprise for Prosthetics and Mobility. This, as was noted in a front-page story in our June 5 issue, is one of the few facilities in Ukraine where prosthetic limbs are made and where war victims are fitted with them.
As a result of the joint efforts of the aforementioned three organizations, the Lviv facility, which is envisioned as a national rehabilitation center, will also be able to provide comprehensive physical therapy and life skills training. Thus, a person newly fitted with prosthetic hands or feet will not only receive the physical therapy necessary to properly use the devices, but will undergo occupational therapy to develop skills needed to prepare food, take care of daily hygienic needs and even drive a vehicle.
As readers will recall, the Markian Paslawsky Fund was organized by the family and friends of the Ukrainian American who died while fighting with a volunteer battalion in the battle of Illovaisk. Representatives of the Paslawsky family and the IAFA agreed that developing a modern rehabilitation facility in Ukraine was a worthwhile endeavor. The Ukrainian National Foundation (which is affiliated with the Ukrainian National Association and performs charitable activities on its behalf) has played a key role in generating much-needed funding, which allowed the project to progress. “The UNA saw this as a great opportunity to help Ukrainian soldiers, who have sacrificed so much for Ukraine’s independence and territorial integrity,” commented UNA Treasurer Roma Lisovich.
Now there’s more good news in that the UNF and the Paslawsky Fund are in talks with the Ukrainian Catholic University to work together for the rehabilitation of war victims (Stay tuned for more information on this endeavor in the coming weeks.) Stating that “the need is great” for such initiatives, Nestor Paslawsky, the late Markian’s brother, said is it inspiring to see what can be done with “enthusiastic support and commitment to a worthy cause.”
All the organizations mentioned in this editorial have shown us the way to provide real help where it’s truly needed in Ukraine. Let’s follow their lead and support the cause.