Restoring strength and hope: how WHO and the EU support people in rebuilding their lives in Ukraine

Inside, her husband Oleksandr is learning how to use a wheelchair under the guidance of a physical therapist.

For the past three months, Nataliia has not left her husband’s side. She has been caring for him after multiple complex surgeries – treating wounds and stitches and helping him relearn the simplest things: how to eat, drink, and sit up again.

Until recently, the couple lived in Kostiantynivka, in a small house they had built over many years, hoping to spend their retirement surrounded by nature.

“But we were never the kind of people who could sit idle,” Nataliia recalls with a smile. “We had a big household – chickens, geese, and sometimes five or seven pigs. But Sasha loved his nutria the most. He was always busy with them – building new cages, separating the females from the males, or taking them to the vet if they got sick. Sometimes I would joke: ‘Why don’t you just go kiss your nutria?’  But of course, I helped him, because he loved them so much.

He has always been a kind and hardworking man – if someone needed help, he would be the first to show up. And when bread stopped being delivered to our town, he volunteered to bring it together with some guys from the nearby town of Druzhkivka.”

That morning, a neighbour asked Oleksandr to help with some work around the yard. As always, he agreed. A few minutes later, a Shahed drone struck the neighbour’s courtyard.

“At first, I didn’t even understand what had happened,” Nataliia remembers. “I just heard a terrible scream – an inhuman scream. When I ran outside, there was a sneaker lying on the grass… with a torn- off leg inside it. On the way to the hospital, Sasha kept asking the same question:  ‘Where is my sneaker? Did you take it with you?’”

The neighbours were killed instantly. Oleksandr survived, but doctors had to amputate both of his legs and remove one eye. Then came the long and difficult road of rehabilitation.

For a long time, Oleksandr could barely move. He spent most of his time lying down and gradually lost motivation. Even sitting on the bed was possible only for a few minutes – severe back pain made it unbearable.

“Until Illia appeared,” Nataliia says.

Illia is a physical therapist at the hospital. Only a few days ago he began working with Oleksandr – teaching him how to transfer into a wheelchair, maintain balance, and use his arms. Just recently, even that seemed impossible.

“But now you can’t stop Sasha,” Nataliia smiles. “Sometimes Illia says, ‘Maybe that’s enough for today.’ But Sasha asks to continue. He says he wants to become independent again as soon as possible – to stand on prosthetics.”

People who have lost both lower limbs or sustained spinal cord injuries are often forced to relearn how to live - and in many cases, their mobility depends on a wheelchair for a long time. That is why it is essential to ensure an individual fit, so that the wheelchair is comfortable, safe, and supports a person’s daily activities.

According to the National Health Service of Ukraine, since the start of the full-scale war, around 12,000 people have sustained spinal cord injuries. This is only part of those who currently require long-term rehabilitation and assistive mobility devices.

That is why specialists across Ukraine are being trained to properly assess, fit, and adjust wheelchairs according to international standards.

Over the past three years, more than 300 rehabilitation professionals have completed this training, and nine Ukrainian specialists have become certified trainers, helping pass these skills on to colleagues.

This makes it possible to gradually expand access to quality rehabilitation services across the country – from cluster to super-cluster hospitals – ensuring that more patients receive the support they need where they are treated. The project is implemented with the financial support of the European Union.

“I think everything will be alright for us,” Nataliia says with a gentle smile. Maybe we’ll even start a household again someday. We’ll live… and enjoy life. Because life goes on.”