Ukrainian porn star Yulia Senyuk, who is known by her stage name Josephine Jackson (her videos have garnered more than 200 million views), is using her celebrity status to raise funds for Ukrainian soldiers who lost limbs in the war against Russia.
“We wanted to raise awareness of the problem of rehabilitation after injuries. Many people raise money for drones but forget about prosthetics. I think I managed to draw attention because more and more people started collecting donations for prosthetics,” says Yulia Senyuk.
The 29-year-old resident of Lviv became an ambassador for Tytanovi Rehab, a media initiative of the Kyiv clinic that rehabilitates more than 30 Ukrainian soldiers with amputated limbs.
Senyuk took part in two photo shoots with Ukrainian soldiers with disabilities to draw attention to the lack of funding for prosthetics, a critical need for thousands of Ukrainians who lost their limbs as a result of the Russian invasion.
According to the Protez Foundation, about 59,000 Ukrainians need prosthetic limbs. According to the Ukrainian Center for Rehabilitation of Superhumans, they can cost between $46,000 and $90,000 each. Dozens of Ukrainian clinics and various initiatives are involved in the rehabilitation of military and civilian amputees. Most rely on government programs and donations, but there needs to be more money for everything.
So, when Seniuk’s friend in February 2024 came up with the idea of using her popularity to create a buzz around a Kyiv prosthetics center, she agreed.
She was invited to swim in the pool and participate in a flirty (but fully clothed) photo shoot with the veterans.
“At first, I didn’t know how to talk to them. But later, I just decided to behave normally and not focus too much attention on my lost limbs. I just came, we took a picture, and they asked me to make a TikTok video with them,” Senyuk said.
The soldiers were delighted.
“I’m not a professional rehabilitation therapist by any means. I talk to them, distract them, and tell them jokes about my profession, which interests them. They shine after my visits,” emphasizes Senyuk.
