“The doctors said it was an off-chance at life”

Badly beaten Raman Bandarenka died

12 November 2020, 19:43 | Katsiaryna Barysevich, TUT.BY
Raman Bandarenka
Raman Bandarenka.
Source: social media via TUT.BY

31-year-old Raman Bandarenka, who was delivered last night to the intensive care unit of the emergency care hospital in Minsk, has died. He never regained consciousness after undergoing several hours of emergency surgery. Doctors didn’t make optimistic projections: they said he had a one in a thousand chance of survival.

You can help Raman’s family by transferring any amount via the “Strana dlya zhizni” platform. Please, select “Сбор в поддержку семьи Романа Бондаренко” (Fundraising to support Raman Bandarenka’s family). 

“Our mother went to see Raman at the hospital in the morning. He was in a very critical state, doctors said he had a one in a thousand chance of survival. Additional surgery is required, but my brother will not survive it in his current condition, so we need to wait for him to get better. Mother was allowed to see Raman in intensive care. He was in a coma, connected to various medical equipment, in bandages and covered with bruises from head to toe,” Raman Bandarenka’s sister Volha told TUT.BY.

We spoke to her at 7 p.m., as the family was getting ready to go to the emergency care hospital again.

“According to the latest update, Raman was getting worse and developed a fever of 40oC. Somebody came to the emergency care hospital to collect my brother’s personal belongings. It is said to be a common practice, but we don’t know who it was,” said Volha.

At 8 p.m. the relatives informed the media that Raman had died.

People light candles on the Square of Change in memory of Raman Bandarenka.
Source: TUT.BY

The reader will recall that 31-year-old Raman Bandarenka was admitted to the hospital with extensive cerebral edema, closed craniocerebral injury, subdural hematoma, multiple injuries and bruises. The surgery lasted for several hours. 

According to the residents of the Square of Change in Minsk, on Wednesday evening masked people in civil clothes came to their courtyard and began taking off white-red-white ribbons. Raman was one of the people who approached them to ask what was going on.

“A man wearing a mask and a stranger started a heated argument. Raman didn’t participate, he just stood nearby and listened,” said Yulia, a witness.

“Then he said something and the masked man asked: “Why are you so cocky?”. He pushed Raman towards the mural. Raman tried to dodge him, but the man grabbed him and threw him with full force at the children’s slide at the playground. Raman hit his head severely.”

According to the neighbours, Raman Bandarenka was “detained by professionals” and taken aways in a minibus. He was admitted to the hospital from the Tsentralny District Police Department with an explanation: “injured in a fight.”

The police have launched an inquiry.