On a warm August afternoon, two days' travel from my home in Potomac, I entered the bustling
lobby of Superhumans Trauma Center in Lviv, Ukraine. Even knowing what to expect, I was momentarily stunned for a few seconds.
Both civilians and service members have experienced life-changing loss of limbs injuries in the fighting. These men and women protected their right, and perhaps our right, to self-determination. No surprise, they are equally determined to rebuild bodies and lives.
Superhumans Trauma Center steps in right here. Turnkey.
The center combines reconstructive surgery, state-of-the-art prosthetic technology, with all the
necessary services—physical rehab, mental health and career counseling, social reintegration
and community support. Civilian or military injured in the conflict? Treatment is 100% free,
underwritten 100% by private donations.
The young man at reception dials Kateryna Kovalchuk, using a prosthetic arm to work the phone. He was a patient, as were many of the current staff. Kateryna is director of fundraising and partnerships for Superhumans, and my tour guide. We meet patients. The man pictured in blue shorts was injured on his last day of active duty. “Not fair,” I say. “Tell me about it,” he says. He plans to walk (yes, walk) in a matter of months, no crutches, no wheelchair.
We tour the 3-D printing area and surgical suite. Rehab facilities include an exercise center and pool, a kitchen and laundry to assist in re-acclimation. A patient jokes: prosthetic fingers don’t get singed by a hot pan or toaster. There are unusual-looking obstacle courses that teach balance, use of remaining muscles to control hands and arms, and navigation of uneven surfaces.
Kateryna explains it all, with knowledge and passion that pulls you in. Superhumans in Lviv
opened in 2022; a second center has since opened in Dnipro (closer to conflict zones), and several more centers are underway or planned. The concept was born in the minds of three Ukrainian business associates with diverse backgrounds. Co-founder and CEO Olga Rudneva asked Howard Buffett (son of Warren) for $1 million in seed money. She got $16 million, and Superhumans was launched. To date: 4,000+ reconstruction surgeries, 3100+ prostheses for 2,400 patients. Yet, the centers have just
scratched the surface as many more patients will arrive.
Widely reported: unprecedented conflict technologies that have changed the face of conflict forever. Not so widely reported: the level of catastrophic injury is also unprecedented in human history.
Lviv was involved in conflict three nights before our tour. I wanted to know how Kateryna copes, how anybody copes. Earlier, I spoke to a young woman who lost an arm at the front line. Her plan? Master the prosthetic. "I'm not done," she said. "I'm just getting started."
Learn more or donate: www.superhumans-usa.org
Email kkovalchuk@superhumans.com with partnership or fundraising ideas, or email Gary Schuler if you choose to get involved in any way: garywschueler@gmail.com
Every dollar helps replace a limb, rebuild a body, restore a life.