Roman Oleksiv from Vinnytsia, who was eight years old when the Russian missile Kalibr struck Vinnytsia, spent two years in hospitals. The boy suffered burns over 45% of his body, internal organ damage, and doctors feared he would never walk again. However, he successfully underwent rehabilitation. A video shared online shows him dancing a ballroom dance under the Christmas tree with his partner dressed in a light blue gown shortly before the New Year celebrations. The footage reveals that the doctors allowed him to remove the mask that had been protecting his face from scarring. Roman's father, Yaroslav, shared details about his life on Instagram.
Yaroslav posted the first photos of Roman without the mask five weeks ago, as reported online. It was noted that the boy was scheduled for his 35th surgery at a clinic in Dresden on November 21. Following that, on November 27, Yaroslav mentioned that the mask had been removed. He reminded everyone that the child spent nearly 100 days in intensive care, and part of his rehabilitation involved wearing a compression blue mask, gloves, and tights. The primary goal of these aids is to halt the growth of scar tissue, making future cosmetic procedures easier, he explained. In the photos shared online, we see a smiling Roman and the masks he has removed, allowing him to live without them now.
0The man noted that the blue mask is now just a memory, but rehabilitation will continue at home in Ukraine. In one of his subsequent posts dedicated to ballroom dancing, he wrote that such moments give the boy energy and inspiration. According to him, they both finally remembered what it feels like to be happy.
"Dancing is not just movement; it is a true language that speaks of happiness. And today, we felt that again!" — Yaroslav wrote in his note.
From the father's Instagram, we can also see how they decorated the Christmas tree together and how Roman rode horses. Additionally, there are photos with an accordion: in a BBC feature about the family, it was reported that this has aided in his rehabilitation. Furthermore, it was revealed that doctors had predicted the boy would not be able to walk, but he diligently trained and made a full recovery, as stated in the article.
1 2We remind you that in 2023, Roman Oleksiv met with Pope Francis: what was the pontiff's reaction.