Unbroken Kids

On May 30, 2023, the center for Unbroken Kids opened its doors at Saint Nicholas Hospital in Ukraine. The center was built to help the 954 patients in the Hospital’s pediatric ward recover from war-inflicted wounds as they undergo medical treatment with special focus on physical and psychological rehabilitation.

The space contains rooms dedicated to rehabilitating the mind and the body, including a swimming pool for physiotherapy and a gym to help with repairing neuro-motor skills. The staff at Unbroken Kids are specialized psychologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and speech therapists. With the help of their expertise, and cutting edge equipment, the center is fully prepared to offer its young patients with the best possible care after their harrowing experiences of war.

The brave children at Saint Nicholas Hospital are survivors of this ongoing war, recovering from amputations, life-threatening lacerations, and neuro-motor disabilities. Their courses of treatment will require sustained care over time. Thanks to our generous donors, Soleterre’s team is able to remain at the sides of these children, supporting them through treatment and working to alleviate the trauma they endure due to the ongoing war.

Studies have shown that post-traumatic stress disorders, inclusive of anxiety and depression, are significantly correlated to disability, social and familial circumstances. In the case of Ukraine, these circumstances often include forced evacuations and the death of one or both parents. A child suffering through this trauma is at 4.5 higher risk of depression and 12.2 times the risk of self harm. Therefore, attention and care for those children navigating through trauma caused by war is of utmost importance.

Vitalik & Lisa are two examples of how strength and resilience. 

• Lisa was severely injured when a bomb fragment entered her dorsal spine and a fractured her leg. Her family was separated and brought to different hospitals to care for their injuries. Alone in the neurosurgery ward of Saint Nicholas Hospital, Lisa was scared and confused. Eventually, with the blessing of their doctors, Soleterre arranged to reunite the family in Lviv. Today, Lisa’s family is continuing their rehabilitation together. Lisa has regained feeling in her legs and is learning to walk once again!

• We met Vitaly in Lviv at Western Ukrainian Specialized Children’s Medical Center where he was in recovery from stage four sarcoma. Lviv is a 12 hour drive from Kharkiv, but it was the only place that could treat Vitaly’s condition effectively. After 5 cycles of chemotherapy, Vitaly will receive a bone marrow transplant with the help of our staff. We continue to support Vitaly with psychological support as he takes on each new challenge brought upon by this horrible disease.

The center for Unbroken Kids is made possible thanks to our partners, Zaporuka Foundation and First Medical Union of Lviv. The center is open and operational, but there is still much to do.

Since the beginning of the war in January 2023, our physiotherapists have assisted 60 children recover from major surgeries. Together with our psychologists, no child has had to face these traumatic events alone. Today, thanks to the center for Unbroken Kids, we will be able to extend our efforts to hundreds of children in need.

Help us to return a sense of hope to those grappling with the trauma of this war. 

Links:

• Learn more about the UNBROKEN project at Saint Nicholas Hospital
• Support our partners at Zaporuka Foundation