Our meetings with veterans with amputations are always held in an informal and friendly atmosphere. This was also the case at Khutorivka in Lviv. While the administration of the rehabilitation center was hosting a foreign delegation, our veteran trainers with amputations were helping newcomers with recent injuries prepare for prosthetics.

The meeting began in the sports hall, where exercise machines were moved to the sides, and our mobile “cinema” was quickly set up to screen the video tips “I Did It – and So Can You.” The hall was packed, so after introductions and a short presentation of the project “Peer-to-Peer: Supporting Veterans with Amputations,” participants moved to another location — the occupational therapists’ office.

There, Oleksandr Shvetsov and Yevhen Tyurin worked with veterans who had lower-limb amputations, explaining the different features of leg prosthetics and showing their own. Meanwhile, Oleksandr Tereshchenko unpacked his backpack full of useful items and shared life hacks for living without arms. After the veterans asked their questions and filled out questionnaires, the occupational therapists continued professional discussions with Oleksandr, and physiotherapist Dmytro kept him engaged for another hour.

With each new meeting, we are increasingly convinced of the urgent need for direct, practical communication between veterans with amputations who already have experience living with prosthetics and those who are only preparing for this stage. After all, no one understands better than a peer who has already walked this path — peer-to-peer, about what truly matters.

The project is implemented with the support of
The International Renaissance Foundation

Project partners