The Unbroken leaders from Ukraine meeting with Aspen Medical’s Canberra team. Photo: Aspen Medical.
A Canberra-based medical company has transformed the lives of nearly 60 Ukrainian soldiers and civilians who lost limbs in the ongoing war with Russia.
Aspen Medical, a global healthcare provider founded in Canberra, partnered with Ukraine’s largest rehabilitation facility, Unbroken, to supply prosthetics and train local clinicians in trauma care, reconstructive surgery and rehabilitation.
Melissa Broers, Aspen Medical’s social-impact manager, says the partnership began in December 2023, with a 12-month program funded by a US$500,000 grant from the Alcoa Foundation.
“That $500,000 paid for 59 prosthetics, and various other supplies and tools so they could fix prosthetics in Ukraine,” Broers explains.
“One of the big expenses is sending things away, so the focus was on enabling them to do it in-country. They are now working to become a centre of excellence for rehabilitation.”
The grant also funded training for Ukrainian health professionals, bringing in specialists from leading US institutions.
“We did a five-day training course in January 2024,” Broers says.
“And because of the way the money was spent, there was leftover funding, so we helped the Unbroken team visit rehabilitation centres in the US to gain more expertise.”
Broers recalls the letters from recipients of the prosthetics.
“One that will always stay with me was from a mother whose 16-year-old son lost both legs in an explosion. She shared how remarkable the change in him had been once he received his prosthetics, and how he had regained hope, confidence, and independence. Her gratitude was overwhelming.”
The Unbroken rehabilitation centre in Ukraine. Photo: Unbroken.
Since the full-scale war began, Unbroken has treated over 25,000 patients, including soldiers and civilians of all ages.
The centre provides comprehensive care – from emergency treatment and reconstructive surgery to prosthetics, physical rehabilitation, and mental health support. Many prostheses are manufactured on-site, and patients can live with their families in specially equipped housing during recovery.
Earlier this month, Unbroken leaders Mariana Svirchuk and Oleh Samchuk visited Canberra to explore partnerships with various local medical institutions, humanitarian organisations, and Australian Government leaders.
Aspen Medical helped arrange meetings with hospitals, government agencies, and the Ukrainian embassy.
“They were very grateful for our support,” Broers says.
“We’ve been transparent that we can’t provide further financial assistance without another grant, but we were happy to help them make the right connections here. Some of those conversations will continue when they return to Ukraine, to see what more Australia can do.”
Foreign aid is nothing new for Aspen Medical. Since its founding more than 20 years ago, it’s helped set up emergency hospitals in Kabul in 72 hours and delivered tuberculosis programs in Indonesia.
“Our work supporting Unbroken has been incredibly rewarding,” Broers says.
“Just seeing the difference that you can make. You see these people – a lot of them soldiers, but also children – and you can just see the hurt in their eyes.”
