Vadym, a young Ukrainian treated in Paris, far from the bombs of his country

From a bombarded capital to the tranquility of a Parisian garden. Vadym Oktusuik, 16, and his father, Vasyl Oktusuik, arrived from kyiv (Ukraine). They were welcomed by Ukrainian friends, settled in Paris. “It’s the first time I’ve been to Paris, it’s a very beautiful city”says Vadym, who adds that in France, “everyone goes out into the streets without being afraid”. It’s for Vadym’s health that both of them are here.

The young man will undergo a heart operation, made possible by the volunteers of the association “The Chain of Hope”. Vadym was admitted to hospital on Tuesday, October 11, and was welcomed by Doctor Nicolas Miroshnik, cardiologist, who is also Ukrainian. Vadym was born with a severe malformation of the aorta, which, as he grew up, put him at risk of cardiac arrest. The 16-year-old should have been operated on in kyiv, but the war changed everything. Alerted by his colleagues in Ukraine, the doctor managed to urgently organize his treatment in France. Vadym’s surgery will last six hours. A sharp open-heart operation, which is a success. Vadym’s aortic valve has been repaired, and the young man is recovering very quickly. He will therefore be able to leave the hospital. The young patient now has only one desire: to return to Ukraine, despite the war.