Spinal cord injuries are damage to the spinal cord that often lead to partial or complete paralysis. A person may lose the ability to walk, use their hands, or control their bladder or bowel function. These are among the most severe and complex injuries — they cannot be fully cured. However, with proper rehabilitation, it is possible to regain some function and learn to live in new conditions.

There are fewer than ten specialized centers in Ukraine where such care is available. One of them is the UNBROKEN Center in Lviv.

Since November 2024, a dedicated team here has been providing comprehensive support — from physical rehabilitation to psychological care. Most of our patients are military personnel injured in combat. New patients continue to arrive, requiring intensive, long-term care. Over 50 people have already completed rehabilitation here. One of them is Maksym.

Maksym is 37 years old. A volunteer soldier. In October 2024, he sustained a mine-blast injury to his lungs and thoracic spinal cord. As a result, he was left paralyzed from the chest down. He arrived at our center in March. His recovery journey has been difficult: months in intensive care, complications, and dependence on life-support equipment. Thanks to early rehabilitation work in the ICU, he learned to turn from side to side even while still on oxygen support.

Today, Maksym independently moves around the hospital in a wheelchair, overcomes physical barriers, and is actively preparing to return home — to his family. To make this possible, we are creating a space where people can learn to live again. The facility is equipped with gyms, occupational therapy rooms, an adapted kitchen, and accessible bathrooms — everything needed to restore daily living skills.

To continue providing effective support for everyone who needs it, we urgently need to complete the renovation and outfitting of our spinal cord injury unit.

We believe the space where recovery takes place matters.