WEBVTT 00:02.033 --> 00:05.000 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% JOHN YANG: The war in Ukraine has reached a grim milestone as many as 120,000 Ukrainians 00:07.566 --> 00:11.033 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% have been wounded and close to 70,000 killed. As the conflict rages on, a critical need as emerge 00:13.033 --> 00:17.233 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% for some of those wounded on the front lines access to artificial limbs. Nick Schifrin reports 00:19.200 --> 00:23.333 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% on a Ukrainian nonprofit that helps survivors move forward after a life changing injuries. 00:25.333 --> 00:28.800 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% NICK SCHIFRIN: It is the largest land war the world has seen in 80 years and Russia has built 00:30.800 --> 00:34.700 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% an 800 mile long defensive line that includes massive fields of mines, some 20,000 to 50,000 00:37.700 --> 00:42.666 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Ukrainians have been seriously hurt and forced to amputate one or more limbs since the Russian 00:44.733 --> 00:48.066 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% full scale invasion last February. That numbers surpasses levels not seen since World War I. 00:50.500 --> 00:54.133 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% The Ukrainian group superhuman center is trying to answer the massive need for medical attention, 00:56.100 --> 00:59.466 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% offering reconstructive surgery and physical and psychological support to those who have 00:59.466 --> 01:03.900 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% lost limbs. Andrey Stavnitser is the co-founder and joins me now. 01:03.900 --> 01:08.900 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% How massive is this challenge and has it increased in the last few 01:10.900 --> 01:13.900 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% months as Ukraine has gone on the counter offensive through those Russian minefields. 01:13.900 --> 01:15.900 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% ANDREY STAVNITSER, Co-Founder Superhumans Center: So just for your understanding, 01:15.900 --> 01:20.533 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% we have approximately the size of Austria, land plot size of Austria is filled with 01:23.100 --> 01:28.100 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% mines right now in Ukraine. So even if the war stops today, it's going to take many months, 01:30.166 --> 01:34.133 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% if not years to demine it. And we see civilians and military personnel stepping on those mines 01:36.066 --> 01:41.033 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% every day and about 30,000, more than 30,000 people are waiting for prosthetics right now, 01:43.633 --> 01:47.166 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% that means they have lost at least one limb. So the situation is getting really bad day after day. 01:49.166 --> 01:53.933 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% NICK SCHIFRIN: And you mentioned it's both civilians and soldiers for those soldiers. 01:55.933 --> 01:59.666 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Are you seeing a dramatic increase because of the nature of how the Russian defenses 01:59.666 --> 02:02.700 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% have been built? And the fact that Ukrainian soldiers simply have to go 02:02.700 --> 02:06.733 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% through the minefield in order to get to the Russian forces that have occupied your land? 02:06.733 --> 02:10.433 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% ANDREY STAVNITSER: Exactly. So we are in the middle of the counter offensive. And 02:10.433 --> 02:15.433 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% we're losing a lot of great guys. And we're really, really waiting for the F-60s to back 02:17.733 --> 02:22.233 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% us up from the skies, and that hopefully is going to change the course of the war. 02:22.233 --> 02:27.233 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% But meanwhile, what Superhumans is doing is we're trying to save as many victims of war so we don't 02:29.166 --> 02:34.100 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% distinguish between civilians or military or kids does matter for us. And we try to 02:36.066 --> 02:40.200 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% provide them with the best prosthetic solutions there are. We do it totally free of charge, 02:40.200 --> 02:45.200 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% thanks to our donors from all over the world, and especially from the US. 02:47.200 --> 02:50.433 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% NICK SCHIFRIN: Russia has systematically targeted the Ukrainian health care system. 02:50.433 --> 02:55.400 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% The organization Physicians for Human Rights now says 1,000 facilities have 02:57.433 --> 03:00.500 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% been targeted. What are the barriers? What are the challenges within the system already, 03:00.500 --> 03:03.633 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% that these victims who are losing limbs face. 03:03.633 --> 03:07.833 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% ANDREY STAVNITSER: So the biggest issue was to create the ecosystem 03:07.833 --> 03:12.833 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% to bring the expertise into the country, the expertise of, you know, prosthetics, 03:15.100 --> 03:18.133 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% and it's not only prosthetics, it's also, you know, psychological, physiological rehabilitation, 03:20.133 --> 03:23.466 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% its production of prosthetics, installation and maintenance has to come as a package because, 03:25.300 --> 03:29.200 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% you know, these people they need complex, holistic solutions. 03:29.200 --> 03:34.200 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Our main goal is to put them back to work to make them able to perform in 03:36.166 --> 03:39.466 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% the office or whatever they would be doing before. For example, we have a patient who 03:39.466 --> 03:44.466 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% is ice skating instructor. So, we have produced and ice skating prosthetics so 03:46.366 --> 03:48.633 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% that he can go back to training kids, you know, we're doing figure skating. 03:48.633 --> 03:52.500 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% NICK SCHIFRIN: Does that mean that every person who comes to you at least needs a 03:52.500 --> 03:55.066 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% tailor made prosthetic and how difficult is that? 03:55.066 --> 03:59.533 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% ANDREY STAVNITSER: It is quite difficult, your prosthesis is point of contact for the rest of 03:59.533 --> 04:03.400 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% your life. Because whenever you lose a little bit of weight, or you gain a bit of weight, 04:03.400 --> 04:08.400 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% or something happened to you, you have to come and adjust your prosthetic slightly starts causing 04:10.966 --> 04:13.666 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% trouble, it starts causing pain. So you have to make sure that it's always fitting you in the best 04:13.666 --> 04:18.566 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% possible way. So you can be verticalized and you can do sports, and you can be active, et cetera. 04:18.566 --> 04:23.200 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% So it's a complex thing, and Ukraine never had it. So we had to bring all 04:23.200 --> 04:26.933 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% this expertise. We had to teach our doctors abroad and bring them 04:26.933 --> 04:31.933 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% in where to find us, U.K., German doctors, bring them into Ukraine so that they 04:34.000 --> 04:37.233 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% could train as many doctors in Ukraine who could then go and work across the country. 04:37.233 --> 04:41.266 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% NICK SCHIFRIN: You currently have one facility in Lviv, the largest city in 04:41.266 --> 04:45.900 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% western Ukraine. You're hoping to open five facilities in the next two years. 04:47.966 --> 04:51.833 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Are you concerned that the need for what you do is only going to increase as this war continues? 04:53.400 --> 04:56.633 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% ANDREY STAVNITSER: We're trying to be ready for that. And you know, 04:56.633 --> 05:01.633 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% I was -- before the war started I thought million dollars is a lot of money but right 05:03.600 --> 05:06.100 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% now I can see that a million dollars is only 50 patients for Superhumans. 05:06.100 --> 05:11.100 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Our biggest bottleneck right now is that we need more financing in order to bring help 05:12.900 --> 05:17.000 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% to more people. We're obviously blessed with donors. But this is not enough. The 05:19.033 --> 05:22.200 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% amount of people that need help is much bigger than any of our current donors. 05:24.600 --> 05:27.633 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% NICK SCHIFRIN: Andrey Stavnitser is the co-founder of the Superhuman Center. Thank you very much. 05:27.633 --> 05:28.433 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% ANDREY STAVNITSER: Thank you, Nick.