In the Children’s Hospital of St. Nicholas in Lviv, the Sacrament of Baptism of 16-year-old Nikita from Bakhmut, who almost died from injuries caused by artillery shelling in his hometown, took place. The young man’s godparents were the doctors who saved his life.
16-year-old Nikita from Bakhmut was baptized in the chapel of the Saint Nicholas Children’s Hospital. It was in this hospital that doctors saved the boy. Nikita received serious multiple injuries during the shelling of Bakhmut.
The young man said that when he left the house to collect water, firing began, during which his nephew was killed and his cousin was wounded. Nikita’s body was hit by six projectile fragments.
An ambulance took the boy to Dnipro, where he was diagnosed with a severe mine-explosive injury with multiple fractures of his arms and legs, as well as damage to his left lung. One three-centimeter fragment came to rest just a few millimeters from the aorta.
Having stabilized Mykyta’s condition, doctors sent the boy by an evacuation train to the First Medical Association of Lviv, where pediatric surgeons operated and saved the young man. Doctors claim that Nikita was “born in a bulletproof vest.”
The boy himself notes that “some invisible force has been saving me all this time.” Therefore, after the experience, Nikita and his mother Tatiana decided to accept the Sacrament of Baptism.
The rite of Baptism, which took place in the chapel of the Children’s Hospital of St. Nicholas, was performed by Fr. Oleksandr Rudenko. The priest admitted that he was sincerely impressed by the young man’s resilience and strength, and he was also happy that another soldier of Christ was born, who would carry His banner throughout his life.
“You know, they say that there are no unbelievers in war. Therefore, I think that Nikita’s decision was mature. I think that the search for God and thoughts about baptism have long been in his heart,” noted Fr. Oleksandr in a comment to the press service of the Lviv Archdiocese.
Information Department of the UGCC