Dan Cnossen’s visit to Ukrainian Rehabilitation and Paralympics Center
Dan Cnossen, Former Navy Seal and US Paralympian, and Dr. Douglas Davis visit Rehab and Paralympics Center in Ukraine
In April, Dr. Douglas Davis embarked on a poignant and memorable journey to Ukraine with his friends from the Mountain Seed Foundation (MSF). Among the many impactful moments of the trip, the most profound experience was accompanying his friend and Mountain Seed Foundation board member, Dan Cnossen, to the Ukrainian Rehabilitation and Paralympics Center in Western Ukraine. Dr. Davis had visited this center before, but this time was different. This time, it was personal.
For the past year, Dr. Davis, his family, and several organizations they work with have been deeply involved in supporting the rehabilitation efforts for Ukraine’s wounded warriors at this remarkable center. Over time, they had built strong connections with the staff and their leader, Valeriy Sushkevich, President of the Ukrainian Paralympics Committee and a former member of Parliament. The dedication and excellence of the team at the center had left a lasting impression on Dr. Davis and his colleagues, both medical and non-medical. They were all struck by the resilience and determination of the people they met there.
However, being at the center with Dan Cnossen, a Paralympic champion and former Navy SEAL, added a new layer of depth to the visit. Dr. Davis watched in awe as Dan effortlessly connected with Ukrainian soldiers and amputees, many of whom were training and rehabilitating alongside Ukrainian athletes Dan had competed against for years. The bond between Dan and the soldiers was immediate and powerful, but one connection stood out among the rest—his interaction with a young soldier named Anatoly.
Anatoly’s story is both heartbreaking and inspiring. He hails from a small village north of Lviv and, like many others, had volunteered to fight when the war began. He was only 18 years old at the time. Now 20, Anatoly had served as a sniper until a paralyzing spinal cord injury in August of the previous year changed his life forever. After leaving the hospital, he arrived at the Paralympics Center for rehabilitation, where Dr. Davis and his surgical colleagues from MedGlobal first met him in December.
Since then, Anatoly has made remarkable progress. His determination propels him to train for the Paralympics biathlon team — the same sport that Dan excelled in. But despite his physical recovery, Anatoly carriea a heavy emotional burden. He has not returned home since the war started, finding it too depressing. His father and two brothers were still on the front lines, with his father now missing in action. To make matters worse, Anatoly had just lost one of his closest friends in the conflict, killed in action near Chasiv Yar.
During their time together at the center, Anatoly and Dan formed a deep connection. Anatoly was eager to learn from Dan, asking him how he had transitioned from being a soldier to living with a disability and ultimately becoming a Paralympics champion. Dan offered advice and shared his experiences, but Dr. Davis sensed that the bond between them was more about fellowship than counsel. Anatoly’s fierce competitive spirit was evident, especially when he and Dan engaged in a friendly game of pool, where Anatoly emerged victorious.
As their visit came to an end, Dan made a promise to Anatoly — if he made it to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, Dan would be there to cheer him on. It was a promise rooted in mutual respect and the shared understanding of what it means to overcome adversity. Dr. Davis left the center deeply moved, knowing that the connections made during this trip would have a lasting impact on everyone involved.
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