"He faced a new, profound battle: to walk again. Along with a growing number of war-wounded amputees, Varvarych and Botvynska are navigating an altered destiny after he lost both his legs fighting during the Russian invasion. Their steadfast romance speaks not of life interrupted but rather adapted and embraced. To live with joy and hope has become a weapon against war."
"There is a shortage of specialists in Ukraine and hospitals have come under attack. Through the kindness of strangers, donations of $76,065 paid for Varvarych's prosthetics and also included travel, visas, food and housing. The prosthetics cost $25,000 per leg. A few weeks turned into four months at the Prosthetic & Orthotic Associates center in Orlando, where Varvarych was receiving care."
"Now 30, Varvarych was a bodybuilder and is still proud of his physique, refusing to show self-pity. But the warrior emerged during the grueling learning stage of walking on new legs. He became frustrated with what seemed like slow progress and endless adjustments. "I'm pissed off. I'm losing time," he declares, having to deal with approximately 11 new sockets, six laminates and myriad other tweaks to the prosthetic legs."
Sgt. Mykhailo "Misha" Varvarych, a 30-year-old commander in the 80th Airborne Assault Brigade, traveled with his partner, Iryna "Ira" Botvynska, to Orlando in January 2023 to receive rehabilitation and advanced prosthetics. Revived Soldiers Ukraine facilitated the trip; donations of $76,065 paid for prosthetics, travel, visas, food and housing. Prosthetics cost $25,000 per leg. A planned few weeks of care became four months at the Prosthetic & Orthotic Associates center as Varvarych adapted to high-level bilateral amputations. A former bodybuilder, he remained proud yet became frustrated by slow progress, multiple socket and laminate adjustments while staff calibrated complex limbs.
Read at www.npr.org
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