The third international mission called “Face the Future Ukraine” recently took place in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine. A medical team of doctors from Canada, USA and Ukraine performed reconstructive facial and neck surgeries on 32 wounded Ukrainians. Most of the patients had combined injuries. Specialists performed a total of 88 surgical interventions. This incredible project was funded by the New York City-based Razom for Ukraine foundation. The Face the Future Ukraine program was founded by the Face the Future Foundation, Razom for Ukraine, and Still Strong, and is implemented in partnership with Patients of Ukraine, Materialize, Healing the Children North East.
Peter Adamson, the founder of the Face the Future Foundation, commented:
“Every year we conduct missions in different parts of the world, but in Ukraine, we encounter the most serious cases. No surgeon had faced such injuries unless he or she was in a war zone. We are going to return to Ukraine again to help restore the faces of as many soldiers as possible. All of them are definitely heroes who stand for the freedom of their people.”
The specialists who performed the surgeries included reconstructive and plastic surgeons, an oculoplastic surgeon, an anesthesiologist, and nurses. During the mission, they also shared their knowledge as part of the International Symposium for Surgeons, “Reconstructive Surgery of Military Trauma of the Head and Neck”, and the Symposium for Nurses, “Features in the Management of Patients with Military Trauma and Posttraumatic Disorders.” Nova Ukraine financed these two educational events with the help of our partner Patients of Ukraine.
Nataliya Komashko, head of the mission from the Ukrainian side, said:
“Preparation for this mission began long before the arrival of our foreign colleagues to Ukraine. Over the past five months, we have examined more than a hundred patients in order to plan the surgeries, select specialists, and develop individual implants for some patients. It’s a big team effort. It is very valuable that many of the operations are performed for the first time in the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Hospital. During these missions, we not only restore the health of our soldiers, but also learn from foreign colleagues and start performing new surgical interventions on our own.”
One of the patients was 29-year-old Oleksiy. “My daughter did not recognize me after the injury. I dream that the doctors will give me back my face,” he said before the surgery.
Oleksiy was seriously injured in the Donetsk area. He came under mortar fire when a mine exploded a few meters away from him. Oleksiy’s brother died, and Oleksiy was severely injured in the face and hand. He was in a coma for the first five days, then for several months he could not speak or eat. His nose, chin and lip were completely torn, and the debris destroyed part of his bones, but the doctors were able to “reassemble” his face.
Anthony Briset, director of the Face the Future Ukraine mission, provided some details:
“We performed a four-hour surgery on Oleksiy, during which we took cartilage from the rib and used it to reconstruct the bridge of the nose. We also transplanted skin from the forehead to the nose and removed the scar that crossed the man’s face.”
The humanitarian program was created in cooperation with Nova Ukraine and our partner Patients of Ukraine, along with many other organizations and companies.
Donate. Impact. Change.
We greatly value your support, and it is indeed crucial. Please consider donating monthly. Your consistent contributions are vital to sustaining our efforts and driving meaningful change over time. Your commitment will make a lasting difference, and we sincerely appreciate your consideration. Donate now or learn how you can help.
