The health problems his son faced and the difficult surgery he had had mentioned Akis Shertsos, in a Facebook post. “My Santa Claus, you are a fighter and winner of life from a very early age, and I want you to remember this,” the state minister characteristically notes.

The son of Akis Skertsov was born with an incorrect bowel position, which led to an acute volvulus, and last Wednesday he had to undergo a complex operation. In his post, Mr. Schertzos explains the reasons for his post, thanking all the doctors who have taken care of his son, noting that they are a “treasure” for the national health system. “These people have given us the greatest gift we could ever dream of. They gave our baby back his precious health,” emphasizes Akis Skretsos.

The last two weeks have been very difficult for the three of us, first of all for our Vasilisa, but also for Avgi and me. Persistent vomiting, severe abdominal pain, and intestinal obstruction led to the diagnosis that our little one had a congenital malformation of the intestine, leading to an acute volvulus and, ultimately, an inevitable complicated three-hour operation last Wednesday.

The operation, thanks to the excellent and experienced pediatric surgeon Konstantinos Nikas and his team of doctors and nurses, fortunately made it possible to completely change the function, as well as correctly reposition the small and large intestine. We thank them from the bottom of our hearts and publicly. Special thanks also to Professor of Pediatrics Mr. Christina Kanakas and her team at Paedon, who are a treasure to the national health system. These people have given us the greatest gift we could ever dream of. They gave our baby back his precious health. I don’t even want to imagine what it would mean if we were a few more hours late.

But the reason I am making this post public even though I am disclosing sensitive medical data is different.

First of all, because I want our Santa to know and believe how strong he is and how much stronger he became after this operation. It is a great shock for children when they fall out of the realm of “invulnerability” that surrounds childhood and innocence. This brutal confrontation with the harsh reality that we are all imperfect and vulnerable can hurt them unimaginably. And it takes a lot of work to come to terms with that… work that, unfortunately, many adults or middle-aged people have not yet completed.

My Santa, you are a fighter and winner of life from a very early age and I want you to remember that. The cut left by this ordeal is neither ugly nor bad. This is a reward. She is all yours, she makes you special and you should love her.

The second reason concerns parents of young children. Although this specific condition is relatively rare and detected in 90% of cases at antenatal examination, this did not happen in our case, as a result of which the child suffered for almost 12 years with – more often at an early age and less often as they grow older – bouts of vomiting and stomach pain .

Symptoms are very specific: repeated vomiting, severe abdominal pain and intestinal obstruction. If all three occur together, then the child needs to URGENTLY undergo an ultrasound scan and an examination by a pediatric gastroenterologist and a pediatric surgeon. Those parents who face such problems should not neglect it.

I end with a photo that fills me with emotion, joy and optimism. With this calm smile of knowing that yes, life is full of difficulties and trials, but with the help of science, with faith and effort, we can overcome them, and thus become stronger, more mature, but also more resigned to the fate of human vulnerability. . Only in this way can we get to know ourselves better, as well as truly and essentially enjoy the gift of life.