This Memorial Day, we honor those who gave their lives in service to our country and those who carry the spirit of service forward in extraordinary ways by volunteering to provide medical care to those injured in current global conflicts. In this spirit, we share with our readers the remarkable stories of several neurosurgeons in Ukraine.
The first article, “An Island of Mercy: An American Veteran’s View from Ukraine,” published in the Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, is authored by Rocco A. Armonda, MD (the 2025 recipient of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons Humanitarian Award), Andrii Sirko, MD and Alex B. Valadka, MD. The second is “The Road Back to Dnipro: Third Time’s a Charm!” published in the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies’ May 16 newsletter by Drs. Armonda, Sirko, Valadka and Bohdan Sirko, MD.
These remarkable neurosurgeons brought their experience, compassion and partnership to Ukrainian neurosurgical teams operating just 100 kilometers from the front lines. In Dnipro’s Mechnikov Hospital — a center treating more than 1,000 war casualties each month — Drs. Armonda, Valadka and others have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukrainian physicians, assisting in complex operations and delivering urgently needed equipment sourced from volunteers across the U.S.
Together, these articles offer a profound and unflinching look at what modern warfare demands of medicine — and what it means to serve. They highlight not only the staggering toll of war but also the ingenuity, resolve and resilience of a neurosurgical community that risks their own lives to care for others in need. In scenes both harrowing and inspiring, we meet young Ukrainian surgeons like Dr. Sirko performing emergency brain surgery moments after a missile strike shattered the windows mid-operation and a health system that never turns patients away.
As the authors write, these missions are not just acts of solidarity; they are urgent reminders that the future of military and humanitarian medicine depends on shared experience, mutual learning and unrelenting courage. On this day of remembrance, their story compels us not only to remember the fallen but to stand by those still fighting for freedom — with scalpels, stents and steadfast hearts.
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