SERHIY: Right now, we’re decompressing Volodya’s spine. After half a day, we’ve become a little fatigued; there’s significant strain on the spine. So, we’re using the inversion table to unlock each other’s spines and help relax the muscles. I’ve got spine issues as well—just hanging there made me feel better right away. Volodya was balancing his muscles just now.

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VOLODYMYR: Serhiy works well with those who have hernias.

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SERHIY: Yes, that’s true; this method is particularly effective for hernias. It helps unload the discs, gradually stretches the vertebrae… This process takes anywhere from three months to six months or even longer, depending on the stage of the hernia.

By the way, this is Volodya’s invention. He designed this device for himself while serving in the army, and now it serves the guys here during rehabilitation. Volodya has already been discharged from military service.

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ALLA DMITRIVNA: He’s the first veteran to work in a rehabilitation facility. As they say, “like attracts like.”

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SERHIY: And I’m a massage therapist. It’s time for me to work in rehabilitation. Besides massages, we offer acupuncture, physiotherapy, therapeutic exercises, and pressotherapy for both legs and the entire body. It’s a comprehensive approach.

On busy days, each of us handles up to ten people.

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VOLODYMYR: Right now, fewer people are being admitted for rehabilitation.

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SERHIY:That’s because of the heavy workload and, likely, funding shortages. Dmitrivna says there’s not enough funding, but we need a lot of rehabilitation equipment. Currently, we handle 4-5 people daily on average, sometimes more. Is there hope for these guys? You know, I think there’s hope for every one of us. Just last month, Andriy Dyatyshyn was here, also with a brain injury. He’s undergone more than three years of rehabilitation. The doctors said he would remain in a wheelchair forever. But now he’s walking! Sure, one arm isn’t functioning, and he has a prosthetic leg, he limps, and his speech isn’t perfect. But there’s hope, even when the doctors gave him almost none—a sniper’s bullet took out half his skull, and now a plate replaces that part. Seryozha, the guy lying over there, has already started talking, though he’s had complications recently. He also got a plate—but he understands everything and is trying to say some words.

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These two, Roma and Bohdan, are still in a critical condition—they haven’t even had surgery yet. You can see the brain… But everything is in God’s hands. If God saved them, then there’s a chance. It’s clear that they won’t return to a fully functional life because the injuries are so severe. But their arms and legs work, part of their head is intact, they feel pain, respond to touch, and their bedsores are healing. There’s undoubtedly a chance, and we must take it while they’re alive. Especially since Roma’s parents are very supportive right now, thank God. There were six wounded like Roma. Now, three remain. I joined here in September, so I don’t know all of them.

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VOLODYMYR:I got this job through an ad. It said they were looking for a massage therapist. I called, and Dmitrivna said there had been several calls, but we’d need to meet and talk. I casually mentioned that I used to do massages before the war and had just returned from the front. “Oh, you’re military? No questions, then,” she interrupted. I wasn’t injured but demobilized because my wife was diagnosed with cancer. We declined surgery and opted for chemotherapy. She’s doing much better now.

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SERHIY:The results are there; the guys are recovering. It’s heartbreaking when they go back before finishing rehabilitation. Recently, we had Oleksandr here. He hadn’t fully recovered—his arm still wasn’t functioning properly. But he had to return to duty. And now we’ve learned he’s gone. It’s so sudden… And for us, it’s indescribably hard. We pour so much effort into each person, striving to restore their ability to move and communicate, and then everything just falls into the abyss… These are the hardest moments.

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VOLODYMYR: You asked how I made this device. It’s not like I designed it myself—I saw it online and built it. I also suffer from back pain, and this is exactly what I needed. I even took it to the war with me, to the front line. And it wasn’t just for me—a comrade once said they came back, took off their armor, hung on it for a while, and felt better. There wasn’t time for massages there…

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SERHIY:This device is simple to use. The guys like it—it gradually straightens their spines and helps them get back on their feet. Seryozha still limps, but I believe he’ll be fine. Artem enjoys hanging on it, too.

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These manual verticalizers are for those who can walk to some extent. We have wheelchairs, bicycles… Andriy loved cycling, adjusting the speed himself. He’s “retired” now, but we stay in touch with him. We also have chess and backgammon—the guys enjoy cognitive rehab and motor skills exercises.

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The treadmill is great; the guys run on it, especially in winter when you can’t go outside. Even in summer, when it’s too hot outside. Families bring their kids along, and they run, too. In the next room, there’s full-body pressotherapy. Chest, lumbar region, lymphatic drainage… Separate treatments for arms and legs.

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We also do massages here, as well as acupuncture, cupping therapy, electrophoresis, electrical stimulation (sometimes combined with needles), darsonvalization, and galvanization. Each treatment is tailored individually.

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Many guys need this kind of rehabilitation. But it all depends on funding. We also need to make a living—everyone has families and their own problems to solve. The guys also need funds to pay for these services and stay here. They look for organizations willing to cover the costs. Not everyone gets a full course of rehabilitation. This is a colossal problem—rehabilitation is absolutely critical. That’s the kind of work we do here.