The defender, who lost a leg and an arm in the war, continues to live life to the fullest. He helps his wife, entertains his son and makes his dreams come true. After receiving a bionic prosthesis at the NEZLAMNI National Rehabilitation Center, he was able to ride a motorcycle again.
Romanov Vasyliuk is 26 years old. He is from Zhytomyr Region. When the enemy moved from the north on February 24, 2022, Roman firmly decided to defend his country, his family, and most importantly, his newborn son. He became a grenade launcher driver in the army. He served in the hottest points of the east: Troitske, Popasna, Lysychansk and, finally, Bakhmut.
The defender lost his leg and arm last fall, as a result of being hit by an enemy projectile. “I remember it all. There was nothing to save. The leg was gone, the hand was hanging on the skin,” Roman tells about his condition immediately after the injury. He also remembers the evacuation to Druzhkivka. There, in order to save the soldier’s life, doctors urgently amputated his left arm and leg. This was followed by resuscitation in Dnipro and long-term treatment in Kyiv. All this time, his wife was by Roman’s side, supporting him and not allowing him to lower his head.
Roman has already come to the NEZLAMNI center in Lviv for hand prosthetics. Here, specialists fitted him with one of the best bionic prostheses in the world from the leading German company Ottobock. And the defender was able to get this expensive and modern artificial hand thanks to the Carlsberg Ukraine company and the project from dobro.ua “Prostheses for the Unbreakable”.
Already on the second day with the bionic prosthesis, Roman was able to tie his own shoelaces. Roman’s one-and-a-half-year-old son Ihorchyk was initially afraid of the bionic arm because it hums unusually. And now he’s used to and really likes how dad gives him a “five” with his iron hand or scratches his ear. With prostheses, Roman also chases a ball with his son, helps his wife and even drives a motorcycle, which he bought after prosthetics. He says that he hardly feels any limitations: “Not so fast and not so functional, but I don’t see any, let’s say, obstacles. I am grateful for everything that I am doing now. I can play with the child, I help my wife. I can do something everyday in the kitchen, at home, near the house. Ride a car and a motorcycle.”
Due to Russian aggression, hundreds of people suffer every day, so in order to make their treatment and rehabilitation comfortable and accessible in Ukraine, in Lviv, at the UNBROKEN National Rehabilitation Center, a multidisciplinary team works with every Ukrainian, providing surgical, physical, psychological and psychosocial professional assistance. Thanks to the support of donors, a prosthetics workshop was opened and bionic prostheses are installed, as well as a new modern rehabilitation building: it is 7 floors with the most modern rehabilitation equipment. Every year, 10,000 Ukrainians will be able to receive help here.