INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — It’s been one year since Russia invaded Ukraine, and more than 70,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and more than 100,000 thousand have been wounded.

Amid a growing humanitarian crisis, doctors and medical professionals from the United States are stepping up to provide vital aide.

Andrii Dovhaichuk has been a DJ for decades.

“I live in Ukraine all my life,” said Andrii.

When war tore his country apart, Andrii immediately volunteered.

“I fight for my family, for my friends,” said Andrii.

When called to action to help fellow fighters who were surrounded by the enemy, he walked right into an ambush.

“Our unit was shot by tank,” said Andrii.

His arm was almost completely gone, after months fighting an infection, it looked like the only option was amputation, until a church in Chicago heard about Andrii, and connected him with a surgeon at the Rush University Medical Center.

“The goal was to get rid of the infection, but then, to connect the rest of his arm through fusion, and from the upper arm to the lower arm, so that he still had a hand that he can use,” said Dr. Xavier Simcock, a hand & upper extremity surgeon Midwest Orthopedics at the Rush University Medical Center.

It took two surgeries: One to clear the infection, and the second to fuse the arm together.

“He had multiple nerve injuries as well. We had to, kind of, put all those pieces together,” said Dr. Simcock.

More than a year after his injury, Andrii hopes to continue to get more movement back, at least enough to go home and join the fight again.

Andrii will continue to gain more movement in his wrist and hand for several more months. Recovery from this type of surgery can take up to two years.

This story was created from a script aired on WISH-TV. Health Spotlight is presented by Community Health Network.