One of the most moving moments of this year’s national holiday on October 28 is expected to take place in Giannouli, Larissa. A child who, ten years ago, was fighting for his life—having been literally rescued from the flames—will proudly carry the Greek flag in the parade.
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This is Stefanos, the young boy who shocked the entire country in 2016 with his health ordeal.
Today, now a teenager, he is preparing for a special moment, with the person who never stopped fighting for him by his side: his mother.
“Good evening, everyone. I’m the mother of little Stefanos, whose story Ms. Pavlou shared in her post thanking the firefighter who saved him. I wanted to share some happy news with you about Stefanos, and I think you’ll be happy to hear it, too. “Stefanos attends the Giannouli Special Elementary School, and now, at the October 28 parade to be held in Giannouli, he will be the flag bearer, and I will accompany him,” reads the touching message from his mother, published by the local website onlasissa.gr.
A Chronology of the Case
It was November 23, 2016, when a fire broke out in a fifth-floor apartment on Mandilara Street, in the center of Larissa. At the time, the family was living under extremely difficult financial circumstances, having even been cut off from electricity. A lit candle, used for lighting, caused the fire that nearly cost little Stefanos his life.
The child, who was about four years old at the time, was strapped into his stroller when the flames began to surround him. Firefighter Elias Arvithas entered the burning room, managed to free him, and carried him in his arms out of the apartment. He suffered a minor burn during the rescue, while Stefanos was taken to the hospital with severe burns.
Difficult days followed in the intensive care unit at the “Aglaia Kyriakou” Children’s Hospital, where doctors fought to save his life. In the years that followed, Stefanos required repeated reconstructive surgeries and ongoing medical care. His mother remained by his side throughout this journey, while also coping with the family’s financial difficulties.
Last May, nearly ten years after the fire, she once again moved the people of Larissa with a public post dedicated to the firefighter who saved her child.
“I owe my son’s life to this man,” she wrote, expressing her gratitude to Ilias Arvythas, with whom the family remains in contact.
Source: Proto Thema
