Ukrainian soldier finally receives new carbon fiber leg with help of Colorado nonprofit
"He's like, I look like a terminator," translated Irina Rastello as a small group watched Andrii Chersak take his first steps with a new carbon prosthetic leg.
Chersak is a young Ukrainian soldier who lost his leg above the knee in the war with Russia in August, following a brutal attack.
For several weeks, he's been in Colorado where a nonprofit started in recent months helped bring him overseas and provide assistance with getting him a new leg.
Cheering broke out in the room as a prosthetist fitted the carbon fiber, plastic, aluminum, and titanium leg.
"It's a different feeling when you walk on a prosthetic," Rastello said, a volunteer with the Limbs for Liberty organization. "So, he was a little nervous last time he tried it on, but it's much better today. I'm really happy that he's happy."
"We wanted to customize it. We really wanted to make sure we were going above and beyond for him," said prosthetist, Jeff Retallack, of the Hanger Clinic in Gunbarrel.
In theory, Chersak might someday even learn to run on his new carbon leg.
"With his dedication from what I've seen in these last couple of appointments, he could though," Retallack said.
Chersak was brought to Colorado in December. He has taken a long trip out of Ukraine, through Poland to Germany, and then to the United States.
He's never been out of Ukraine before and has also never flown. The organization was doing the first of what it hopes will be many efforts to bring war-injured Ukrainians to the U.S. to get prosthetics.
"They are all heroes. They are absolutely heroes. All of them," said Kelli Rohrig, president of Limbs for Liberty. "And I think Americans really need to understand that because had they not put up a fight Russia would have been at the doorstep of Poland which is NATO and things would be a lot different."
Rohrig generated the idea with another friend after she returned from Ukraine, where she saw some of the worst of what the war has done to the country.
In Ukraine, there are only limited efforts to help soldiers with long-term injuries. Limbs for Liberty has been keeping him busy while he's been here with visits and meetings with new friends.
Coloradans have been more than kind. He's tried snowboarding, snowmobiling and he's been to a few dinners along with appointments.
He's also met Ukrainian immigrants as well as people who have called him a hero.
Chersak says he never stops thinking about the war. He has said he would like to rejoin his fellow troops on the front lines, but that is unlikely right now.
"I miss them a lot," he said of his wife and son. He will return home in a week to his wife and young son with his new leg.
He also will be forever thankful to his new friends in Colorado, who plan on bringing two more soldiers for prosthetics as soon as possible.
"I just want to thank you guys all so much," Chersak said as he looked at his new leg, with graphics reading "Ukraine."
He added, "If not for you, I would have not been able to have an opportunity to get a leg like this ever in my life or even see America ever in my life probably."
For more information on the nonprofit organization helping injured Ukrainian soldiers who have lost limbs, visit: https://bit.ly/3H60wbm
