Medical treatment for accident victim Nastja in Ukraine

A tragic train accident in Nastjas hometown Berdjansk in south Ukraine changed her life. As a result, the 15-year-old girl had to have her arm amputated at the shoulder. Thanks to aid from the Katarina Witt Foundation, Nastja is now being fitted for a high-tech DynamicArm Prothesis from a leading prostheses manufacturer.

Meeting between Nastja and Katarina Witt - November 2008

Nastja is deeply moved and has tears in her eyes, as the most successful female ice-skater in the world stands in front of her in the therapy room. Katarina Witt talks to her for a long time and asks about her hobbies. I used to love to dance, and often did, answered the athletic 15-year-old. After the young Ukrainian girl’s training with her new hand, Katarina Witt invites her out for an ice cream in the picturesque old town. They go window shopping along the way. Nastja says, “Everyone here is so good to me”. She was determined not to cry again. Not until she was alone.

They parted like good friends. As she was getting into the car, Katarina Witt called out to her, “Remember Nastja, I want to see you dance again!”

Nastja learns to use her Prothesis - October 2008

The Katarina Witt Foundation arranged for the best medical-technical aid. In Duderstadt in lower Saxony, Nastja is learning to use her high-tech prosthesis.

High-tech Prothesis DynamicArm

For each person, the time varies for learning how to grasp securely with the DynamicArm, explains Erik Andres. He works as an orthopedic technician and is watching his laptop to see how Nastja generates an ever more precise electrical signal with every new effort. No doubt, Nastja will learn how to grasp, and can hardly believe it. “I could never have imagined anything like this.” The accident changed Nastja’s life from one day to the next, but it didn’t change her strong will. Even as a child, she was always able to achieve her goals, says her mother, Viktoria. Her character will probably come through during her training with the DynamicArm. She must practice opening and closing her artificial hand by flexing a muscle in her chest and her triceps. Later, she will also learn to control her elbow in the same manner. Electrodes in her skin register the electric muscle impulses and send them as a control signal to the prosthetic arm. Specialists refer to this as Myoelectric.