Sometimes, a single phrase from a doctor can ruin the future of an entire family. Words spoken coldly and without explanation can break faith, hope, and even destiny. For one Ukrainian family, such words almost became the beginning of an irreparable tragedy, writes UNN.
This story was left on the StopOdrex website by Artem. He allowed his name to be published and the story to be shared with journalists, but he contacted anonymously – like many other people who fear the consequences of publicity. This concerns events from late 2019, when, according to Artem, a medical error at the "Odrex" clinic could have cost his family a child.
In late 2019, Artem and his wife learned they were expecting a child. It was their first pregnancy – long-awaited, exciting, full of hope. Like many expectant parents, they decided to turn to private medicine, expecting attentive care, modern diagnostics, and professionalism. For the initial examination, they chose the Odesa clinic Odrex, the branch in the "Raduzhny" residential area.
The couple went to the appointment together. What they heard from the gynecologist, Artem recalls as a blow.
According to him, without explanation, without preparation, and without any sympathy, the doctor stated: the fetus is "developing poorly" and the pregnancy needs to be terminated. The wording was harsh and categorical – as if it were a formality, not about the life of an unborn child.
It was December, the end of the year. We had just found out we were going to be parents – and we were essentially told that there would be no child.
At that moment, the couple was in a state of complete shock, fear, and confusion. According to Artem, the Odrex gynecologist behaved coldly and rudely: there was no explanation of the diagnosis, no offer to recheck it, no discussion of alternatives or risks. Only a dry phrase about "poor fetal development, an abortion is needed."
Fortunately, the family decided to get a second opinion, and they went to another clinic. And there they heard something completely different: the pregnancy was developing normally, and there were no indications for termination.
Today, their daughter Leia is five and a half years old. She is healthy, active, developing normally, and is already preparing to go to school. There were no congenital defects or complications, which were mentioned at Odrex.
Because of the Odrex gynecologist's mistake, she might not have existed. Because of a mistaken diagnosis and complete indifference.
Let us remind you
StopOdrex is an independent website created by patients and relatives of those who died after treatment at the "Odrex" clinic. Activists collect and publish stories on the website about experiences of treatment at the Odesa private clinic. The platform allows appeals to be published openly or anonymously, without editing or censorship. It was after the appearance of this resource that many people first dared to tell their stories publicly. Moreover, people say that their negative reviews on other platforms were previously deleted.