Cincinnati Supporting Protez Foundation

My name is Drew Rohner, and I am a senior at Sycamore High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. This past summer, my club soccer team had the privilege of participating in the Target USA Cup in Minneapolis, which hosts talented teams from around the globe. However, one team stood out from the rest—FC Minaj, a team that had traveled from Ukraine amidst the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. Their resilience and spirit left an indelible mark on our team and me personally.

A group of severely wounded Ukrainian soldiers had arrived in Minnesota in July to receive prosthetics, and they decided to attend our match against FC Minaj. These soldiers, some of whom are barely older than myself, have faced unimaginable challenges due to the war. It was impossible not to think about their unfortunate circumstances, having lost limbs at such a young age. However, as I delved deeper into their stories, I realized that these soldiers were considered fortunate compared to many others.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has taken a devastating toll on Ukraine's infrastructure, including care centers, leading to rising casualties. There are over 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers in need of prosthetic limbs, and with limited aid and care centers available, the situation is dire. 

I've initiated a fundraiser in partnership with the Protez Foundation to raise awareness and collect donations for the prosthetics crisis in Ukraine. The Protez Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) that focuses on restoring the quality of life for soldiers who have lost limbs. The Protez Foundation accomplishes this by providing state of the art prosthetics with personalized training, bringing people together to help support victims, and assisting soldiers through the mental and emotional hardships of their recovery. 

While I aspire to pursue a career as a biomedical engineer with a focus on prosthetics, my current resources and experience as a 17-year-old are limited. For this reason, I've named this fundraiser "A Voice For Prosthetics" as I've dedicated myself to being a voice and raising the much-needed support for this cause.

You can make a significant difference in the lives of these brave soldiers and countless others who are in need of prosthetic limbs. Even a small contribution can go a long way in providing hope and assistance to those affected by this crisis.

If you are interested, please watch the video below which is a first-person account of the impact of the Protez Foundation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0C2a3H8aJY&t=16s

Pictured: FC Minaj(Yellow), Cincinnati United(Black), Ukrainian Soldiers(Green)