The human ear is an extremely delicate organ. During explosions in war, the ear and hearing suffer perhaps most often. Almost everyone who has survived the explosion of a bomb, rocket, drone, mine, or other devices is left with consequences such as hearing loss, tinnitus, balance disorders, and impaired speech comprehension. The blast wave tears apart the structures of the middle ear, causes the loss of cochlear cells in the inner ear, and damages the vestibular system.

Today in Ukraine, hundreds of thousands of people suffer from blast injuries – primarily soldiers, veterans, civilians, and children.

One of the founders and the General Director of the Foundation is the well-known otolaryngologist Dr. Roman Barylyak, who has been treating ear diseases for more than 20 years. Since June 2022, the program to help those with hearing impairments has become our priority. We initiated and, with the help of other volunteer groups, established centers of otosurgery and audiology in Kharkiv, Dnipro, and Lviv. We organized the necessary equipment, instruments, and materials for performing complex hearing restoration surgeries, as well as diagnostic equipment for hospitals in Rivne, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Lviv, and Odesa.

Dr. Barylyak conducts monthly training for doctors and medical staff and operates on patients injured by explosions. Since 2022, he has performed more than 1,000 surgeries. The vast majority were carried out in hospitals in Dnipro and Kharkiv, in the newly established otosurgery centers – precisely where the largest number of injured patients await help, and where explosions of rockets and drones are heard daily.