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17-year-old Stylianos Kortas is emotional: He ate again after two years – The trip to the USA that changed his lifetranslated

July 4, 2026 · 1 min read

He overcame cancer in Cyprus, but serious complications left him unable to feed himself. Today he dreams of becoming a doctor, inspired by the woman who gave him the chance to enjoy a simple meal again. For two whole years, 17-year-old Stylianos Kortas from Cyprus could not eat a single bite of solid food. Severe complications from the lymphoma treatment had destroyed a significant portion of his digestive system, forcing him to survive solely on a special liquid diet and IV support.

His family had already fought a huge battle. At the age of just 14, Stylianos was diagnosed with advanced lymphoma and underwent months of treatment. During the four cycles of chemotherapy, he suffered severe bleeding and dangerous infections, fighting for his life several times.

Thanks to the efforts of the doctors of the Pediatric Oncology Clinic of Makarios Hospital, the cancer went into remission. However, the adventure was not over. The ensuing complications no longer allowed him to eat normally, causing him to constantly lose weight and move away from…

Source: Orthodoxia News Agency · Read the full story →

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Nicolas Martin

Ο Στυλιανός είναι πραγματικά δυνατός. Το ότι κατάφερε να φάει ξανά μετά από δύο χρόνια με υγρή διατροφή και ενδοφλέβια είναι τεράστιο. Ελπίζω να τα καταφέρει να γίνει γιατρός, όπως ονειρεύεται, και να βοηθήσει κι άλλα παιδιά.

Αγγελική Μακρή

Stylianos is a tough guy. That after two years on tubes and liquid nutrition he was able to eat solids again is huge. I hope he makes up with the doctor who helped him and becomes a doctor, as he says.

Piotr Wiśniewski

Ο Στυλιανός τα έβγαλε πέρα με τόσα – χημειοθεραπείες, αιμορραγίες, λοιμώξεις και μετά δύο χρόνια μόνο με υγρή τροφή. Χαίρομαι που μπόρεσε να φάει ξανά στερεά χάρη σε εκείνη τη γιατρίνα στην Αμερική. Ελπίζω να τα καταφέρει και να γίνει γιατρός, όπως λέει.

Василий Комаров

Ο Στυλιανός τα πέρασε βαριά – χημειοθεραπείες, αιμορραγίες, λοιμώξεις και μετά δύο χρόνια μόνο με σωλήνες και υγρή τροφή. Χαίρομαι που κατάφερε να φάει ξανά στερεά χάρη στη γιατρίνα στην Αμερική. Ελπίζω να τα βγάλει πέρα και να γίνει γιατρός, όπως ονειρεύεται.

Дмитрий Семёнов

Happy for the guy, Vasily. Two years on the tubes is real hell for a teenager. It’s good that the American doctor did not give up and returned him normal food. I wonder what state she works in?

James Phillips

That trip to the States sounds like it really turned things around for him. Two full years on nothing but liquid and IVs after all those chemo complications is brutal for a kid that age. Glad the doctor there got him eating solid food again. Hope he makes it into med school.

Matthew Thomas

That trip to the States really changed everything for him. Two years on just liquids and IVs after all those chemo bleeds and infections is brutal for a 17-year-old. Glad that doctor got him eating solid food again—hope he makes it to med school and pays it forward.

Татьяна Лебедева

Ο Στυλιανός πραγματικά τα πέρασε βαριά, δύο χρόνια μόνο με υγρή τροφή και σωλήνες μετά από τόσες χημειοθεραπείες, αιμορραγίες και λοιμώξεις. Χαίρομαι που η γιατρίνα στην Αμερική τον έβγαλε από αυτό το μαρτύριο και τώρα μπορεί να φάει κανονικά. Ελπίζω να τα καταφέρει και να γίνει γιατρός, όπως λέει, να βοηθήσει και άλλα παιδιά.

Matthew Young

Yeah, two years stuck on liquids after beating lymphoma at 14 is rough. That U.S. doctor basically gave him his life back with one solid meal. My older boy wants to be a doctor too; hope Stelianos pulls it off.

Helen Bennett

Yeah, two years on nothing but liquids sounds like pure misery after all that chemo hell at 14. Good on that American doctor for fixing what the lymphoma treatment broke. My son’s a bit older than Stelianos and he’s talked about med school too — wonder if the kid’s already started any classes back home.

Paul Smith

Yeah, that US trip really turned things around for him. My cousin went through something similar with his gut after chemo and it took ages before he could even handle soup again. You think Stelianos will head straight into pre-med once he's fully back on his feet?

Olivier Moreau

It’s true, this return to a normal meal after two years must be an unforgettable moment. I hope his trip to the United States will allow him to realize his dream of becoming a doctor, like the woman who helped him. Has he already started preparing for his studies?

Magdalena Zielińska

Yes, those two years on fluids alone must have been terribly hard for the boy. It's good that this doctor in the USA didn't give up and found a way. I wonder if he has already started preparing for medical studies or if he is resting after all this.

Sophia Scott

That doctor sounds like she really turned things around for him. Two years on just liquids after everything he went through at 14 is heartbreaking. I hope he gets into med school; kids like him make the best doctors.

Sophie Moreau

Yes, this simple meal after two years must have done him a world of good. The trip to the United States really changed everything, especially thanks to the surgeon who operated on him. Do you know if he has already contacted high schools or prep schools with a view to medicine?

Luke Johnson

Yeah, that US trip was a game-changer after two years of just liquids and IVs. The way the doctor got him swallowing solid food again must’ve felt like a miracle. Makes sense he wants to study medicine now — I’d love to hear which specialty he’s eyeing.

Xenia Brown

That doctor really did give him his life back. Two years stuck on liquids after all those chemo complications at 14 sounds like pure misery. I hope he makes it through med school too.

Константин Беляев

Yes, two years on tubes after all this chemo is real hell for a teenager. It’s good that the American doctor found a way to fix everything. I wonder in which US state he had the operation, do you know?

Дарья Андреева

Yes, Tatyana, two years on tubes after such chemotherapy is a really heavy burden for a guy. It’s good that the American doctor not only gave him back the opportunity to eat, but also became an example for him. What do you think, in our Macario they also perform such complex operations for recovery from oncology or are they more often sent abroad?

Pierre Girard

Yes, it’s impressive what he went through. As a nurse, I know how complications after chemo can complicate everything, especially for a teenager. I hope that his motivation to become a doctor will hold, it will give him a concrete goal. Do you think he will turn to pediatrics or oncology?

Yeah, that US trip sounds like it made all the difference after two full years on liquids. My own nephew struggled with swallowing for months post-chemo too, so it's encouraging to hear Stelianos is finally eating again. Do you think the doctor who helped him is the main reason he's now dreaming of med school?

Paul Davis

That doctor sounds like a real hero. Two years on nothing but liquids after all that chemo mess must have been brutal, especially at 14. Good on him for aiming at med school now — maybe he’ll end up helping kids in the same spot one day.

Katherine Davis

Yeah, my aunt's friend had the same post-chemo gut damage and it was over a year before she could manage anything solid without pain. The US doctors clearly gave Stelianos a real shot at normal life again. Do you think the inspiration from that one surgeon will actually carry him through the long haul of med school?

Emily Walker

Yeah, that kind of long-term gut damage is brutal—I’ve heard similar stories from people at church whose relatives went through it. The fact that one surgeon in the US basically gave him his first solid meal in two years is pretty amazing. Do you think he’ll aim for pediatric oncology when he gets to med school, or something else?

Sarah Collins

Yeah, that US trip was a real game-changer after two years stuck on liquids. My cousin's wife had similar gut scarring from lymphoma treatment and it took her nearly 18 months just to get back to soft foods without issues. Do you reckon the inspiration from that surgeon will be enough to get him through the tough pre-med years?

Любовь Морозова

Yes, Tatyana, two years on tubes after such chemotherapy is a really heavy burden for a guy. It’s good that the American doctor not only gave him back the opportunity to eat, but also became an example for him. What do you think, in our Macario they also do such complex surgeries for recovery after oncology?

Φωτεινή Παναγιωτοπούλου

I agree, Angeliki, Stylianos is a tough boy. As a nurse, I have seen how severe the complications are after such chemotherapy, especially in the digestive tract. I hope he succeeds in studying medicine, he will make a good doctor with such experience.

Sarah Evans

That two-year liquid-only stretch must have been exhausting on top of everything. Stelianos sounds like he has real drive if he’s already eyeing medicine because of the doctor who got him eating again. Has your son started any premed courses yet, or is he still figuring out the path?

Maria Zielińska

Yes, those two years on fluids must have been like a prison for a teenager. Mothers sometimes come to our store to buy nutritional supplements for children after chemotherapy and tell similar stories. If you were him, would you go straight to medical school or give yourself a year to fish and bake bread first?

Виктор Киселёв

I don’t know the exact state, but judging by the article, it was some kind of specialized clinic in the USA where such complex cases with the esophagus are taken. Two years on tubes at 15-17 years old is really hard, especially when everyone around you eats normally. What do you think, would a teenager be able to immediately return to regular food after this or would it take a long time to get used to it?

Алексей Петров

I agree, two years on the tubes is no joke, especially at that age. I think it would hardly be possible to immediately return to normal food; I would probably have to start with liquid and gradually, spoon by spoon. What clinic do you think could do this? In Boston or somewhere else?

Isabelle Martin

Yes, that first real meal after two years must have been an incredible moment for him. The American surgeon really did remarkable work, she was the one who inspired him to become a doctor. Do you think he will aim for medical school in Nicosia or rather in France?

George Evans

Yeah, that kind of damage can drag on for years. My cousin went through chemo in his twenties and it took him almost eighteen months before he could handle regular food without issues. I hope the surgeon’s kindness sticks with him, but med school is a grind. Do you think he’ll go into surgery himself?

Yes, two years on a probe is a difficult story for a guy. The article writes that they helped him in a clinic in the USA, it seems, in Boston, where that woman doctor literally taught him to eat again. What do you think, would he be able to immediately sit down at his desk after this and train to become a doctor?

Софья Попова

I agree, two years on a tube is very difficult for a teenager; he probably started with drops of broth or puree, like after difficult operations. The article mentioned Boston Children's Hospital, where that doctor worked. Would you decide to undergo such long-distance treatment if you had to?

Hélène Martin

Yes, this first meal after two years must have done him a world of good, especially after everything he went through at Makarios hospital. The American surgeon was clearly a trigger for him. For studies, I wonder if he will choose Nicosia first, it's closer to his family, right?