Yana Zinkevich returned to Ukraine after rehabilitation in Israel

After another rehabilitation course from Tel Aviv to Dnipropetrovsk, Yana Zinkevich returned to Ukraine. She flew to Israel for treatment for the second time in March. The 20-year-old girl, head of the volunteer medical corps “Hospitallers,” suffered a severe spinal injury when a terrible accident struck on the Dnipropetrovsk-Pavlograd highway on December 4 at 4:30 AM.

Emergency responders rushed the unconscious volunteer to the regional hospital, where doctors stabilized her condition. Shortly after, medical teams transported her by plane to Israel for specialized treatment.

Fighting for Life

The first month proved to be a desperate fight for the girl’s life. Ten days following the accident, medical teams transferred Yana to Sheba Medical Center in Tel Aviv. One of the world’s leading spinal surgeons, Professor Alon Friedlander, took on her case and performed the critical operation.

The procedure lasted seven grueling hours, during which the professor meticulously reconstructed her fragmented spine piece by piece, securing it with metal brackets. His expertise quite literally pieced together what the accident had shattered.

The Road to Recovery

Once doctors confirmed that the healing process had begun, they assigned Yana to an intensive rehabilitation program. Throughout her recovery, she documented her journey on Facebook, sharing photos from various therapeutic sessions. Specialists worked with her in the pool, suspended her from special straps, encouraged her to punch a training bag, and engaged her in sculpting, painting, and gardening activities.

After completing the first stage of treatment, Yana Zinkevich returned to Ukraine in a wheelchair — a result that initially seemed impossible to doctors who feared she might never sit independently again.

However, the story didn’t end there. Israeli doctors performed a second operation, and following her second rehabilitation course, Yana achieved a remarkable milestone: she stood on her own. Most impressively, she walked down the airplane stairs by herself when returning to Ukraine. Even Professor Friedlander expressed astonishment at her progress. As Yana herself explained:

He had patients with the same severe spinal injuries as mine, but I was the only one who got up after surgery. The surgeon himself was surprised because there was practically no hope.