Roman Oleksiv, an 11-year-old boy from Ukraine who lost his mother in a bombing in 2022 and spent 100 days in intensive care before undergoing more than 35 surgeries to repair his injuries, has moved the European Parliament.

His words in Strasbourg during a presentation of a documentary about children in Ukraine “broke” the interpreter.

Describing what he experienced in July 2022, Roman initially said “I was with my mother in the hospital when a bomb went off.”

“That was the last time I saw her and I told her,” the young Roman continued, with the interpreter unable to convey his words.

After a colleague of the interpreter intervened, the 11-year-old went on to say “I saw her under the debris, I saw her hair and I said goodbye. Then I went into a coma for over 100 days and underwent 35 different surgeries and I have a road to recovery.”

“When we are together we are strong, never give up and continue to support Ukraine and its children,” the young Ukrainian concluded to applause.

The story that became a film

In July 2022, Roman and his mother Halyna Halina were waiting for their doctor’s appointment in Vinitsa, Ukraine, when missiles hit the clinic.

A total of 26 people were killed, including Halina. Roman managed to crawl out of the rubble of the building, but with internal injuries and burns over 45% of his body, the boy’s prospects were bleak.

Fortunately, within just a few days, the then 8-year-old was transported abroad for specialized care through a medical evacuation program (medevac) developed by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine in cooperation and with the support of the World Health Organization, the European Union and several WHO member states.

Roman was taken over by Dresden University Hospital in Germany with nurse Jonathan Wincke describing the complexity of the delicate operation: ‘Roman was in a critical condition. He was so badly burned that he had to be given sedatives and put on artificial respiration to complete the journey from Vinica to Lviv and then across the border to Rzeszów in Poland. The border was closed exactly when we wanted to cross it, without any warning. This made our journey about 2 hours longer than expected, in more difficult road conditions. The ambulance had to drive slowly and carefully to avoid causing Roman discomfort. However, thanks to detailed planning and an excellent team, Roman was delivered safely to the plane.”

“When I woke up, I called out and a nurse came, but she only spoke German and I couldn’t understand her,” Roman recalls. “At first, I didn’t know where I was – I thought I was still in Ukraine. Then I saw that I was wrapped in bandages and I remembered the whole incident and realized that I was abroad. I was very happy when my father arrived.”

Roman’s story has also been made into a short film called “Romchyk”, based on his dream of becoming a dancer.

For much of his hospitalization, the young Ukrainian had to wear a special mask and compression bandages for his scars.

Despite doctors’ fears that there was a chance Roman would never walk again, he resisted and made it through with the help of dancing and the accordion. His father says dancing helped Roman improve his balance and muscle strength, while the intricate technique for the melodies on the accordion improved the flexibility of his scarred hands.

In late 2024, Roman was able to remove his mask and has now returned with his father to Ukraine, even winning first prize at an international competition for accordionists.