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.