Today, a 67-year-old U.S. war veteran and amputee, Jacob Kepka, arrived in Lviv by bicycle to raise funds for prosthetic limbs for Ukrainian soldiers. The Canadian with Polish roots started his journey from Krakow and is going to reach Kyiv.
Jakob Kepka is a former soldier in the US Marine Corps. More than 20 years ago, he was wounded in the leg during the war. He underwent 6 surgeries, but in 2016, doctors decided to amputate the limb. The man says it changed his life for the better. Now he has a prosthesis, so he can ride a bike (about 100 kilometres every day!), go hiking or rock climbing.
The mission of his visit to Ukraine is to inspire Ukrainians who have lost their limbs and raise 100 thousand hryvnias for prostheses and training for Ukrainian prosthetists. With his expedition, Jakob Kepka wants to draw attention to the needs of people with amputated limbs and raise funds that will allow them to function better and integrate into society.
You can join the fundraiser at the following link: https://zrzutka.pl/pk77an
“I came to Ukraine for work 2 years ago and stayed in Kharkiv for 4 months. One day I came to Lviv to see the city and in the centre I saw a young soldier who had recently lost his leg. I did not approach him. It made me feel very ashamed, because I could have talked to him, inspired him, given him advice on how to live a full life without one leg. It bothered me a lot, but it was the impetus for the HopeRaising Expedition project,” says Jakob Kepka.
The man is driving about 1200 km from Krakow to Kyiv. Along the way, he stops in different cities, talks to residents, local authorities, NGOs and volunteer organisations, and tells them about his goal.
Interestingly, near Lviv, the cyclist was met by athletes from the Georgy Prokopenko Children’s and Youth Sports School and accompanied to Lviv City Hall. Here he met with the First Deputy Mayor of Lviv, Andriy Moskalenko, who thanked him for his initiative and presented him with a commemorative coin depicting King Danylo.
Jacob Kepka will stay in our city for a few days to visit various medical facilities and rehabilitation centres, talk to Ukrainian military and veterans, and inspire them.