Ten-year-old Roman Oleksiv is a survivor. In July 2022 he and his mother Halyna were waiting for a doctor's appointment in Vinnytsia, Ukraine, when missiles hit the clinic. Twenty-six people were killed, including Halyna. Roman was able to crawl out from the wreckage of the building; however, with internal injuries and burns to 45% of his body, the boy’s outlook was bleak.
Thankfully, within just days, Roman was transported abroad for specialist care through a then-new medical evacuation (medevac) programme developed by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine with collaboration and support from WHO, European Union (EU) partners and various WHO Member States.
Since then, a structured medevac system set up with financial support from the EU and the Austrian Ministry of Health has helped over 5000 patients like Roman access vital treatment in countries in Europe and beyond.
Every day counts
Roman needed urgent, specialist care that was not available in Ukraine. The Ministry of Health’s Medevac Coordination Unit put out a request to a multicountry network, and the University Hospital in Dresden, Germany, agreed to take him.
Jonathan Vinke, an advanced paramedic who was part of the team that cared for Roman on his medevac journey, remembers the complexity of the delicate operation: “Roman was in a precarious condition. He was so badly burned that he had to be sedated and ventilated to complete the journey from Vinnytsia to Lviv, then across the border to Rzeszów in Poland.”
He continues, “The oxygen demand was very high, and the border closed just when we wanted to cross it without any pre-notification. This made our journey around 2 hours longer than expected, over more difficult road conditions. The ambulance had to drive slowly and carefully to avoid causing Roman any distress. However, due to detailed planning and the excellent team, the circumstances were managed and Roman was safely handed over to the airplane.”
From Poland, Roman and his father Jaroslav were flown to Germany on a specialized aircraft for transporting critical-care patients, mobilized by Deutsche FlugAmbulanz.
Roman spent 2 weeks in a coma. Due to the extent of his exposed burns, he also developed a fever and a dangerous infection. One night, Jaroslav got a call to come quickly to the hospital. Fearing the worst, he ran straight there only to discover, with great relief, that his son had opened his eyes and was asking for a relative.
“When I woke up, I called out and a nurse came, but she spoke only in German and I couldn’t understand,” recalls Roman. “At first, I didn’t know where I was – I thought I was still in Ukraine. Then I saw that I was all wrapped in bandages, and I remembered the whole event and understood that I was abroad. I was so glad when my father arrived.”
Despite the shock, Roman soon grew to appreciate the kindness and dedication of the hospital staff. “I want to thank German doctors for their support and help. They have all become family to me and I love them so much,” he says.
He spent over 100 days in intensive care, and since the day of the attack has endured 35 operations, including skin grafts. For much of the period, he had to wear a special mask and compression bandages that helped to prevent scarring. Yet, despite world-class treatment, doctors warned there was a chance he might never walk again.
Coming home – the dream of becoming a dancer
However, Roman and his caregivers persevered. Throughout the intensely challenging time in hospital and his physical rehabilitation process, Roman’s passion for ballroom dancing and accordion playing kept his spirits up. His father says dancing has helped Roman’s balance and muscle strength and the complex fingerwork of practising tunes on the accordion has improved the flexibility of his scarred hands.
Finally, at the end of 2024, Roman was able to remove his mask. Roman and his father are now back in Ukraine, where the boy is resting after a long series of medical procedures.
“Roman is so happy to be back. His eyes are shining. He has met his friends from dance classes, from school. He is back to doing the things he loves,” says Jaroslav. Recently, Roman even won first prize in an international competition for accordionists.
“This is what I dreamed for him. Something to wake up for, something to get excited about. It lights him up from inside,” his father adds.
Paramedic Jonathan Vinke recently reunited with Roman in hospital in Lviv. In addition to his physical transformation, Roman was now able to greet him and chat in Jonathan’s native German.
“He’s such an incredible boy,” enthuses Jonathan. “When I first met him, his life was in the balance. Thanks to the care he received in Germany, thanks to his own resilience, by the time I met him again, he was walking, dancing and pursuing his dreams, with a life ahead of him. It’s a testament to the importance of the medevac programme, to the strength of the human spirit.”
Roman’s story has inspired many; last year, he danced at the Fourth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen, which included Ukraine’s First Lady Zelenska. A short film called “Romchyk”, based on his dreams of becoming a dancer, has even been produced.
Roman talks excitedly of playing table tennis and his many friendships from Ukraine to Germany, as well as his obsession with cars. He also reflects on his healing journey with some advice: “Never give up. You never know what’s waiting for you. Sometimes you may think that the road is so long. You may get there sooner than you think, or you may need more time, so you have to keep doing what you are doing and not give up.”
Vital collaboration
Medevac is made possible through collaboration with a number of important WHO partners and donors. Eric Galvin is the Regional Programme Manager for the European Commission’s Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI): “Since January 2023, FPI has been working with WHO and its implementing partners to complete the medevac cycle put in place by the EU Civil Protection Mechanism and others. This support is, for example, helping the Ministry of Health of Ukraine to ensure coordination inside the country, and is financing significant parts of patient transport,” he explains.
“Thanks to these systems, patients like Roman can now receive their treatment in EU Member States through safe and structured processes, helping them survive and thrive,” says Ihor Perehinets, Regional Emergency Director at WHO/Europe. “We are truly grateful to all countries who’ve received patients from Ukraine, and all donors who make this work possible, and we reiterate how critical it is that these efforts continue with the war in Ukraine now in its fourth year.”
With his arm around his son, Jaroslav echoes that sentiment, adding his gratitude: “If Roman hadn’t been transported abroad, he wouldn’t be here with us today. The medevac programme is incredibly important for many other injured people, including children. It saves lives.”