As war rages, Ukraine celebrates Independence Day with help from metro Atlanta

Aug. 24 marks 35 years of Ukrainian independence, but the past four years have contained suffering, hardship and trauma for Ukrainians, and yet they have remained resilient.

As we all know, on Feb. 24, 2022, Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, challenging the nation’s hard-fought independence.

So how do we actually celebrate? What can we find to celebrate when all seems so bleak? One thing is the generous concern many have shown through support and humanitarian contributions.

This year also marks four years of HelpingUkraine.US, the organization I founded to reach and support the people of Ukraine. For four years, we’ve converted the generosity of our donors into critical, decisive action.

And we will continue our work for as long as the Ukrainian people need our help. In the past year alone, we have launched a clean-water project in Kryvyi Rih; provided independent power for critical services in the Kharkiv region; created solar and battery backup for state emergency service rescue units in the Kharkiv region; provided emergency recovery assistance following the Russian attack on our Odesa partners; and more.

Gwinnett Rotary has been an essential partner

Emory Morsberger is the CEO of the Morsberger Group and a former Georgia state lawmaker. (Courtesy)

Some of our most vital support has come from Rotary Clubs across the United States, particularly in Georgia and our home county of Gwinnett. Without Rotary support, I would not have been able to visit Ukraine.

When I expressed interest in visiting, I received a wave of support so great, so profound, that I dubbed it the “Great Rotary Relay.” Rotarians across America connected to bring us closer to our goal.

I myself am a Rotarian. The organization has given me lifelong friends and the opportunity to participate in critical projects. Every day, I strive to meet the challenge posed by our treasured motto, “Service above self.”

This Independence Day, HelpingUkraine.US partnered with our own club, the Rotary Club of Gwinnett County — in an effort led by Buck Lindsay — to support Superhumans Center, an organization providing prosthetics and rehabilitation to Ukrainians who have lost limbs or suffered life-changing injuries because of the war.

Some of our most vital support has come from Rotary Clubs across the United States, particularly in Georgia and our home county of Gwinnett. Without Rotary support, I would not have been able to visit Ukraine.

When I expressed interest in visiting, I received a wave of support so great, so profound, that I dubbed it the “Great Rotary Relay.” Rotarians across America connected to bring us closer to our goal.

I myself am a Rotarian. The organization has given me lifelong friends and the opportunity to participate in critical projects. Every day, I strive to meet the challenge posed by our treasured motto, “Service above self.”

This Independence Day, HelpingUkraine.US partnered with our own club, the Rotary Club of Gwinnett County — in an effort led by Buck Lindsay — to support Superhumans Center, an organization providing prosthetics and rehabilitation to Ukrainians who have lost limbs or suffered life-changing injuries because of the war.

This support, created in the form of a $50,000 matching fund, will go directly toward these Superhuman Centers.

On Independence Day, we celebrate the conclusion of our campaign. Every donation of $100 or more, made through Aug. 24, received a two-to-one match, tripling its impact. So yes, we have something to celebrate. The Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia processed these donations on behalf of the Rotary Club of Gwinnett County’s campaign.

Emory Morsberger (left) and Olga Gorman (right) pose with a specialist at the Superhumans Center in Lviv, Ukraine. The organization now operates three centers in the European country. (Courtesy of Superhumans Center)

Casualties are rising and people need help

We will have a significant impact as these centers help people regain mobility, confidence, independence and the ability to return to their families, work and communities, according to the organization’s official reporting.

All Superhumans services are provided free of charge. Superhumans now operates three centers in Ukraine and has served 3,500-plus patients, provided 3,600-plus prosthetics and performed 2,900-plus surgeries. I have visited Superhumans and seen firsthand what this extraordinary work means to people rebuilding their lives.

Emory Morsberger holds a prosthetic arm created and provided by a Superhumans Center in Lviv, Ukraine. All Superhumans services are provided free of charge. (Courtesy of Olga Gorman)

With the recent increases in civilian casualties, Superhumans centers have become all the more important. The scale of the need is staggering. While Ukraine does not publish one consolidated official count, an estimate by Northwestern University indicates that more than 100,000 Ukrainian military personnel and civilians have lost limbs since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022.

The number continues to rise, creating an urgent and long-term need for prosthetics and rehabilitation. In July alone, at least 437 civilians were killed and 2,610 injured — the highest monthly death toll since May 2022, according to the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine. Missiles, drones and aerial bombs continue to strike Ukrainian cities far from the front lines. These attacks have left civilians devastated, their homes and bodies destroyed.