"As a Belarusian, I grow potatoes." How Vital Tysieu, who survived spine surgery, lives
Three years ago, Belarusians raised money for Vital's surgery to prevent him from being paralyzed. He walks, farms, but has problems with work and a Polish pension.
In 2023, Belarusian Vital Tysieu underwent a complex surgery in Germany. For many years before that, he had a spinal injury that allowed him to live and work. Complications began in 2020 when Vital was arrested and beaten by security forces during protests. A day in the detention center provoked inflammation. An autoimmune disease of the spinal connective tissue — ankylosing spondylitis — developed, all joints of the spine and other joints fused, writes Radio Svaboda.
Three years ago, German doctors said: if the surgery is not performed in the coming weeks, the man could be paralyzed. Belarusians then raised more than 55,000 euros for Tysieu. Vital was operated on at the famous German Charité clinic, and everything went successfully.
Currently, Vital Tysieu lives in the Polish city of Szczecin, on the border with Germany.
"Thanks to Belarusian society, everything is good. I run," he smiles.
He walks with a cane. Vital adds that his right shoulder hurts and moves weakly. But injections relieve the condition.
"My shoulder is pinched somewhere. They pulled on my nerves when they cut, and somewhere they tightened the right side. It doesn't hurt all the time, only when I move. I can raise my arm, but not high. I can do something physically, but only in a certain position. As soon as it's a little higher or lower, it hurts," explains the interviewee.
Vital says that he could have another spine surgery to feel and move better. But, according to him, it's not mandatory. And he decided not to risk it, as it's a complex operation, and it's unknown how it might end. Besides, the surgery is expensive. The interviewee says it costs almost as much as the previous one. Another difficulty is finding a doctor who would agree to perform such an operation. Polish doctors refuse, says Vital, just like three years ago.
Lives in a dacha
Vital, along with his partner Natalia, moved to a dacha in Szczecin. Living there is only possible with the permission of the chairman of the association. For now, they have this permission. The cost of living per year is about 700 euros. Renting an apartment is now expensive for them.
"Paying three thousand zlotys per month for an apartment (700 euros), and here it's three thousand a year," says the interviewee.
The area of their house is 25 square meters. He built part of the premises himself. He says he installed water, dug the ground, laid pipes, and built the stove that heats the dwelling. Their dacha has a plot of three hundred square meters. Vital farms on the land.
"As a Belarusian, I grow potatoes. Cucumbers, tomatoes, raspberries, blueberries," he says about his garden.
Growing potatoes on this land is not allowed, adds the interviewee. So he came up with the idea of planting vegetables in bags of soil and thus grows the Belarusian national product. The interviewee says they now have enough vegetables and don't need to buy cucumbers and tomatoes in the store.
In winter, Vital and Natalia visited friends in France, adds the interviewee.
Vital says he can't find work. To earn some money, he repairs laptops at home.
"Where I can work (physically), Polish citizenship is required. Where I am accepted, I cannot work physically. Also, employers don't want to hire me because I need to pay different insurance, which is more expensive. I also can't work illegally — then I don't have (medical) insurance. I need expensive injections once a month," explains the interviewee.
No Polish pension
They don't want to pay Tysieu a Polish pension, he says, because the Belarusian side does not confirm his employment history. Vital challenged this decision in court. The court of first instance sided with him. But after that, the Polish medical insurance company (ZUS) still refused to pay him a pension, and Vital filed an appeal against this decision. When the new court hearing will take place is still unknown.
"Maybe another two or three years. Here in Poland, everything is slow. We waited three years for the court of first instance," says Vital.
Vital currently has a temporary residence permit in Poland. Next year, he will apply for a permanent residence permit. He hopes that perhaps this status will help him receive a pension.
Vital receives disability benefits — about 280 euros. He has the second group according to the Belarusian classification, or "moderate" according to the Polish. The disability pension, which they don't want to pay him, is not much more — about 400 euros.
However, the Belarusian notes that then he would have the right to additional programs from various funds that help people with disabilities, including with employment. Currently, he is not accepted there.