I wish to go to Punta Cana

All about Artem 

• In my spare time, I enjoy: playing video games

• When I grow up I want to be: a car mechanic or software developer

• At school I like to: breakdance and basketball

Artem grew up in Ukraine where he loved to ride his bicycle and skateboard. An active and energetic five-year old, his parents were about to enroll him in soccer when he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. His family was shocked by this news. No one expected that something like this could happen to Artem.

His parents Oleksiy and Maryna remember the moment they were told their son had cancer like it was yesterday. “We did not know how to explain his diagnosis to him, and he kept asking questions”, said his mother Maryna. “So, I kneeled in front of him, looked into his scared eyes, and asked him: “Do you trust me?” He said yes. “You will need to undergo a specific treatment. It will take some time, but I promise you, we will be with you every step of this journey. You are not alone, we got you”.

The next day, he started chemotherapy. Once he adjusted to this routine, it turned out that Artem would need intensified chemotherapy or possibly even a bone marrow transplant. However, one more challenge was just around the corner. War had broken out. All the patients from the oncology department were moved to the basement of the hospital to avoid being hit during a missile attack. There, in the basement, the medical staff continued treatment trying to keep all the kids safe. After a couple of days, Artem was evacuated to a European hospital first, and then shortly thereafter, the family moved to Canada where they were able to join the rest of their family. Artem continued his treatment in peace. Thankfully, he no longer required a bone marrow transplant.

Having now finished his treatment, Artem attends school, enjoys break dancing and basketball, and plays with his virtual reality glasses. He tries to catch up with everything that he missed while at the hospital and dealing with his illness. He is a happy, active, curious, and very mature boy.

Artem’s wish was to go to Punta Cana. When Artem heard that his wish would be granted, he started packing his suitcase! In the days before his upcoming trip, he was so excited, he could not sleep and constantly asked, “Are we going to the airport yet?” He had been waiting for this vacation since he was diagnosed. “On the worst chemotherapy days, I was trying to distract him” Maryna recalled. “We were talking about the destinations we could go to, once he finished his treatment. Together, we imagined how we would dive into the warm sea or sparkling swimming pool. How we would stretch our legs on the wide beach and dig into the white sand. How we would listen to the sound of the ocean. During that time, he was in despair. He was scared and frustrated, and I wanted him to wish for something to dream about.”

Finally, his wish day arrived and Artem, his parents and his brother Denys flew to Punta Cana for their week-long, carefree vacation. Artem loved spending time in the sea and digging holes in the sand. He tried all the slides at the local waterpark. The focus was on fun rather than doctors, hospitals, or war.

The wish had a huge impact on Artem and his entire family. Maryna recalled, “For the first time since 2021, we were just enjoying our time together at the amazing place. We were swimming together, playing games, exploring the area. We were doing things we used to do before our life was split into ‘before and after’.”