3-D printing tech from Saratoga County business creates prosthetics for Ukrainians

CLIFTON PARK, N.Y. (NEWS10) — As Russia’s war in Ukraine continues, a local company has been continuously working with volunteers to help those injured in Ukraine.

The connection halfway across the world is giving people hope one step at a time.

Tony Hynes put it simply, “We all have to do our part, somewhere, somehow. This just happens to be my little corner where I’m doing my thing right now.”

His little corner is actually a large manufacturing plant in Saratoga County. He’s the CEO of Precision Valve and Automation. Among all the items they make that go all over the world, a machine smaller than a refrigerator is changing lives by cutting down the time it takes to fit prosthetics from weeks to just hours. “What we’ve done is we’ve created a machine that can 3-D print the sockets, which is the interface between your skin and the hardware.”

The machines make their way overseas through a partnership with Ukraine Focus, a group started by Brock Bierman to bring humanitarian and medical aid to those who need it most.

“It’s really tragic what’s happening — the indiscriminate bombing of apartment buildings, of civilian centers,” noted Brock. “Men and women, children, are losing their limbs because of what’s going on in this unprovoked war by Russia.”

He’s led volunteers on 15 missions to Ukraine since 2022, including former New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos.

Seggos, who is now a board member of Ukraine Focus, recalled, “Ukraine is on the front lines of a huge battle for democracy and that keeps me going, but also the friends I’ve made along the way. The people I’ve met over there who are just as brave as you can possibly imagine, and they just need a little bit of help. We’ve brought a little bit of help.”

That help includes other machines from PVA — portable ventilators — that go into some of the more than 300 ambulances delivered to the front lines. But the 3-D printers are now part of a more permanent partnership.

“We’ve set up two prosthetic centers,” said Bierman. “One outside of Bucha, Ukraine, and then one outside of Kyiv in Brovary. We had our very first patient walk. We wouldn’t be able to do that program without PVA.”

Bierman shared that video with PVA and Hynes said it made an impact on his employees. “People here, we build the machines and we talk about them, but to actually see somebody walking on a printed leg that came off one of our machines is pretty special.” 

The machines have a daunting task ahead, not just the number of amputees, but the young age of those injured. “Sockets don’t last forever,” notes Hynes. “If they get two to three years out of each socket, that’s just about right, so they’re going to need dozens of these throughout the course of their life.”

A life forever changed by the work of PVA and Ukraine Focus. “You can see in their face, how thankful they are,” said Bierman. “And how we are helping change their lives. We’ve added hope, if you will, to their future.” 

“The story that Americans have kind of moved on and don’t care anymore,” is not what Seggos has seen. “Come to Clifton Park, just north of Albany, meet Tony Hynes, and PVA and see what he’s doing for the people of Ukraine. A local businessman who’s got other things to do, has put time out of his life to bring equipment into Ukraine that could get people back on their feet, a really incredible story.” 

And when you ask Tony why help Ukraine: “Why help anybody anywhere? They need the help. I really think the onus should be on everybody to reach out to other people, help where they can, and just make life better for others.”

Bierman underscored the accountability and transparency of the Ukrainian government when delivering the donations. “They were making sure that every single thing was done appropriately and that the aid was going to exactly where it was supposed to go. It’s important that everyone watching [this interview] know our assistance isn’t just being delivered to a parking lot. Our ambulances are going specifically to units that have been identified to get those ambulances because of the need. It’s not like a drop-off where we give them to some people, and they drive them away. We know which regiments or which hospitals or which facilities are getting these ambulances, and we know why, and when I deal with my counterparts in Ukraine they tell me, ‘Brock, we have to have a supply chain management and an asset allocation that works because we want to make sure that people in America know their donations are being used the right way.’ And that’s huge. I think that’s really important for people to understand.” 

The volunteer missions are staffed by people from different countries with different backgrounds.

“Maybe we’re an unlikely combo in this,” mused Seggos. “Brock’s a Red Sox fan; I’m a Yankees fan. He’s from Rhode Island; I’m New York. Republican, Democrat. There’s lots of differences on paper, but fundamentally, I feel fortunate to have met this guy. We’ve done some incredible things over there, and hopefully, saved some lives and given some people insight into what America is.”

“Regardless of what anybody says,” Bierman added, “at the end of the day, there’s so much more that binds us together in this country than divides us. We live in a nation that provides liberty, and we support that liberty, and we support that freedom, and we go out to Ukraine together to do that. And that’s the beautiful thing about this country that we live in today, and I think that brings us together, don’t you think?” Seggos agreed, “Amen. Amen.”

Over the last few years, PVA has deployed around 100 machines for 3-D printed prosthetics around the U.S., and they’re working on a program to bring them to Guyana.

More information on the next mission of Ukraine Focus can be found on the organization’s website.