In 2018, Yurii lost his leg in a car accident. “I felt completely inadequate. People looked at me as if I was no longer capable. I couldn’t hug my child or support my wife because I had to rely on crutches,” he recalls. His family became his strongest motivation to move forward.
Yurii’s rehabilitation journey changed when he joined the Prosthetic Rehabilitation for Ukraine project implemented by Human Study. With the support of trained specialists, he was fitted with a modern above-knee prosthesis, enabling him to regain mobility and independence. “When I stood on two legs again, I felt like a whole person. In that moment, I wanted to run and play football with my five sons,” Yurii says. (Today, he is a proud father of six.)
Reflecting on his experience, Yurii describes the prosthetist as “the most important person in the world” during rehabilitation. Encouraged by the advice to never give up, he was able to navigate the most challenging stages of recovery and rebuild his confidence.
Today, Yurii is a devoted father, a valued employee, and an active amateur athlete. Human Study continues to support him through prosthetic adjustments and follow-up rehabilitation, contributing to his ability to live a full and active life.
Liubov is a mother, wife, and mathematics teacher who has lived her entire life with the effects of poliomyelitis. Years of rehabilitation allowed her to remain mobile, but long-term stability remained a challenge. Following a serious fall and unsuccessful treatment, she experienced chronic pain and faced the risk of losing her ability to walk.
A turning point came when Liubov participated as a model user in a clinical onsite workshop on lower-limb orthotics in Lviv, delivered as part of an internationally accredited program implemented by Human Study in partnership with GIZ. Through this program, she received a custom Hip-Knee-Ankle-Foot Orthosis (HKAFO), developed based on a detailed assessment of her condition and movement.
With her new orthosis, Liubov regained stability, mobility, and confidence. Today, she is able to move independently and continues to plan for the future, supported by specialists trained through the program who accompany her ongoing rehabilitation.
At the age of 11, Yana lost both of her legs in a missile strike. Her mother was severely injured, and her father died on the front lines. Following multiple surgeries and rehabilitation in Germany, she took her first steps using prostheses. “The hardest part was believing I could walk and run again. My prosthetist believed in me even more than I did,” she recalls.
With access to appropriate prosthetic care, including sports prostheses, Yana gradually returned to an active life. She has since participated in charity runs in Lviv, as well as the Boston Marathon 5K and the Tokyo Marathon Friendly Run, alongside adult para-athletes from around the world. She continues to train regularly at the UNBROKEN Rehabilitation Center in Lviv.
Yana has also contributed to Human Study training programs as a model user in pediatric lower-limb prosthetics education, supporting the practical training of future specialists. “I want to help others have the same opportunities I had,” she says. She now hopes to pursue a career in medicine or rehabilitation, with the aim of supporting others on their recovery journey.
