Rebuilt & Renewed
When Luka Krizanac was just 12 years old, he found himself in a hospital in Zurich, Switzerland, with a severe infection that was spreading aggressively throughout his body. As sepsis led to multi-organ failure, doctors had to amputate parts of his arms and legs in order to keep him alive. Facing a life without hands or feet is unimaginable for most of us, but for Krizanac, it became his reality.
Krizanac learned to navigate the world with prosthetic legs that served him well, but his prosthetic hands never truly replicated the intricate movements of real hands: "People struggle to understand how much they do with their hands," he said. "And I don’t mean just practical stuff, but basically surviving as humans, even in today’s modern world."
In a medical marvel that has been six years in the making, Krizanac's story recently took a turn few would have dreamed: At 29 years old, he became one of only about 100 people in the world to undergo a double hand transplant. The surgery is a procedure so intricate and rare that a dedicated team at the University of Pennsylvania had been preparing and rehearsing since 2016 -- even continuing their work through COVID-related setbacks.
The process of finding a donor was remarkably complex, requiring not only matches for blood and tissue type but also for gender, skin color and tone, and size. After eight weeks on the waiting list -- 17 years after his amputation -- a donor was found through the Gift of Life Donor Program.
Six months after his 10-hour surgery, Krizanac is back home in Switzerland, experiencing everyday miracles that would seem ordinary to many of us: typing on his iPhone, picking up food, holding a cup, and even resting his head in his hands. As his nerves continue to heal, he is gaining sensation almost daily, a process that he calls "mind blowing." Krizanac, who works for a global bank, said his new hands have brought about "a deep feeling of being whole again as a human."
Krizanac's experience is not just a tale of medical advancements; his story is also a narrative about restoration, echoing the very heart of the Gospel: that what was broken can be made whole, what was lost can be found, and what was dead can be brought back to life.
As we anticipate gathering this Sunday at 6 p.m. for our Practicing the Way discussion, Krizanac's story offers a unique lens through which to consider our own spiritual journeys. Just as Krizanac’s new hands require intentional and ongoing rehabilitation, our spiritual lives need daily attention to heal and grow. When have you allowed yourself space to connect with your Creator, to consider the distances you have walked and the journey still to come?
As we anticipate gathering this Sunday, please consider completing the Spiritual Formation Audit on pages 30-36 of the Practicing the Way Course Book. This audit is intended to help us assess where we are in our faith walk and identify areas where we can cultivate deeper spiritual habits. Just as a team of surgeons prepares for a life-changing transplant, this audit allows us to prayerfully examine our hearts, preparing our souls for deeper transformation as we continue our journey of practicing the way of Jesus together.