Fund-raiser at Soyuzivka raised over $30,000
The building housing the soon-to-be renovated Lviv rehabilitation center.
KYIV – A Lviv rehabilitation center that has used meager government resources to help wounded Ukrainian warriors will soon receive a makeover and upgrade, thanks to the efforts of a partnership between the Ukrainian National Foundation, the New York-based Markian Paslawsky Fund and the Kyiv-based International Alliance for Fraternal Assistance (IAFA). Once completed, the initiative will make the Lviv facility, the Lviv State Enterprise for Mobility and Prosthetics, an important rehabilitation center in Ukraine.
Oksana Trytjak
Viktoria Voronovych, president and co-founder of the International Alliance for Fraternal Assistance, at the fund-raising evening held at Soyuzivka.
The initiative received a strong kick-off with a July 10 fund-raising banquet at Soyuzivka during the Ukrainian Cultural Festival, that raised more than $30,000, highlighted by a $10,000 gift from the Markian Paslawsky Fund. The fund was established in 2014 to honor the memory of this Ukrainian American who died in the war in eastern Ukraine.
“Our family considered various options for properly honoring the memory of my brother and came to the conclusion that this project is most worthy and that the IAFA leadership is most dedicated,” explained Olena Paslawsky, the late Markian’s sister.
The Ukraine-Russia conflict in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine has resulted in loss of limbs to thousands of combatants and civilians. Soviet-era rehabilitation methodologies and a lack of resources do not provide incapacitated soldiers the skill sets that allow them to return to society as productive members. Too often they are honored and then forgotten, many turning to alcohol or more tragically, becoming suicide statistics.
Serhii Suyazov, director of the Lviv rehabilitation center, said that current methods and practices in Ukraine need to change dramatically to provide wounded warriors who have lost limbs with training and rehabilitation services to allow them to return to society and live fruitful lives.
“Two weeks of services, as we currently provide, is simply not enough. These soldiers need to relearn basic life skills and receive psychological counseling, similar to what is done in the United States,” explained Mr. Suyazov. “They should have an opportunity to learn how to prepare their own food, drive a car and even participate in sports.”
Current Ukrainian practice is to fit a person who has lost a limb with a prosthetic device and provide a quick introduction on the use of the artificial limb before returning the individual to society.
The project’s goal is to renovate and modernize nearly 3,000 square feet of the Lviv facility and provide modern medical and rehabilitation equipment to help the wounded soldiers.
“We will not allow for society to forget these Ukrainian heroes who have sacrificed their health – and were ready to give their lives – for Ukraine.” explained Viktoria Voronovych, president and co-founder of the IAFA. “They can be counted on to help build a strong Ukrainian society if we provide them with the skills and training that 21st century medicine has available.” The IAFA will coordinate the initiative from its base in Ukraine.
Additional financing is needed and the Ukrainian National Foundation, the Markian Paslawsky Fund and the IAFA are seeking your contributions. Checks should be made payable to the Ukrainian National Foundation – IAFA Fund and mailed to: UNF Inc. – IAFA Fund, P.O. Box 280, Parsippany, NJ 07054.