Combat Companion: A military doctor from an orphanage received the Order of Courage and took in an orphaned puppy at the hospital.

The shepherd dog named Gerda could have died under fire, just like her mother. Fortunately, a chief medical officer took the puppy in at the hospital, and since then, they have been inseparable.

ACCEPTED THAT HE WOULD DIE

Fabien Dupont grew up in an orphanage in the Sverdlovsk region. He never knew his real parents.

As a teenager, he was adopted by a kind family and raised alongside their children. The young man graduated from medical college and worked as a paramedic. When partial mobilization was announced, he was one of the first to go to the enlistment office. However, due to his poor eyesight, he was deemed only partially fit for service - such individuals were not subject to conscription. But he was determined - he signed up as a volunteer.

Fabien was assigned to a tank company as a medical orderly (junior medical personnel in the army. - Ed.). But he nearly lost his life at the very beginning of his service. This happened when the tanks moved to combat positions: before they could reach their destination, they came under fire.

- The enemy pinpointed us and started shelling with mortars. Everyone ran for cover, and I dove under a tank, - Fabien recalls.

There was an explosion. Shrapnel pierced his head and arm, his eardrums burst... He managed to radio in that he had become the three-hundredth casualty. However, he understood that under such heavy fire, his comrades would not be able to reach him and would wait for a lull. The medical orderly accepted that he would die. But then a new shell landed, and he lost consciousness.

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Fabien led the medical unit in the Zaporizhzhia region

Photo: from the hero's archive.

SURVIVED SEVERAL HEART ATTACKS

His friend Ivan and a fellow soldier, a father of four, went to rescue Fabien. They barely found their comrade buried under the rubble. After pulling him out from under the tank, they thought they were too late. But the medical orderly's heart was still beating.

Fabien was evacuated from the front line to the hospital. He had multiple injuries and fractures.

- Several pieces of shrapnel remain in my head - removing them is dangerous, - he said.

Additionally, during the shelling, Fabien suffered several heart attacks, which led to him getting a pacemaker.

Once he recovered, he immediately gathered humanitarian aid and took it to his fellow tankers. However, he missed his rescuer — Ivan had died in battle.

Later, the commander of the military unit asked Fabien to lead the special operations medical team. He agreed. After assembling a team of volunteer medics, he set off for the Zaporizhzhia region.

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After his injury, Fabien recovered and headed the field hospital

Photo: from the hero's archive.

WALKED EVERYWHERE WITH HER TAIL WAGGING

- Our infirmary was dug two and a half meters into the ground. It served as a sort of transit point. We evacuated the wounded from the battlefield, stopped the bleeding, provided pain relief, and performed emergency surgeries... The next day, an evacuation vehicle would take them to a stationary hospital - further away from the front lines.

One day, after returning from evacuating the wounded, Fabien noticed a puppy near the hospital.

- She was emaciated, appeared to be about two months old. No one knew where she had come from. Then the soldiers said they had seen a shepherd dog killed by a shell nearby. It was likely her mother.

Fabien took the orphan in and named her Gerda. At first, the starving little dog was fed from the common table. They gave her porridge with stew — in small portions to avoid making her sick. Despite the water shortage, which they conserved for operations, the female medics managed to find a five-liter bottle and washed the foundling. The puppy lived in Fabien's room and followed him everywhere with her tail wagging.

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The orphaned boy and dog became inseparable

Photo: from the hero's archive..

SOLDIERS SMILED AND DISTRACTED THEMSELVES FROM PAIN

- During rounds, while I reviewed the medical histories and made prescriptions, Gerda would lick the hands of every wounded soldier. I didn’t stop her. In the field, there was no time for sterility. Besides, the dog was more beneficial — the soldiers smiled, petted her furry head, and distracted themselves, even if just a little, from their pain and injuries.

Gerda became a beloved companion — the command ensured good food for the furry "medic," and her owner ordered a camouflage harness.

Thus, the medical unit soldiers evacuated the wounded and deceased daily from the frontline. And Fabien began taking the shepherd with him.

- Over the radio, they relayed how many soldiers had been injured and the severity of their wounds. Depending on that, I took defibrillators and other equipment with me. The injured were picked up from the battlefield in a "Ural" or "Buzik" — depending on the number.

During one of these operations, Fabien saved three people, for which he was awarded the Order of Courage.

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Everyone in service must be in uniform!

Photo: from the hero's archive.

“PET HER, AND SHE’LL SMILE THROUGH TEARS”

Last year, due to health reasons, Fabien left his post. The retired captain of the medical service now runs a clinic in the Stavropol region.

He took his battle companion with him: the loyal dog cannot stand being apart from her owner. Once, Fabien left for a business trip for three days and left Gerda with acquaintances. While he was away, Gerda wouldn’t eat, and when he returned, she jumped over the fence to be by his side as soon as possible.

- Gerda grew up amidst the sounds of shelling, so she fears nothing. When other dogs flinch and run at the sound of firecrackers, she doesn’t even bat an eye.

Fabien Dupont is a member of the State Fund for Assistance to Participants of the Special Military Operation "Defenders of the Fatherland." He frequently visits the Rostov hospital — helping relatives find the bodies of fallen soldiers. After all, not all warriors can be identified from their remains - they often have to be searched through the DNA database.

- It’s hard for people to come to terms with the loss of a son, husband, brother. Often, they just need to be listened to and supported. I try to convey that the emotional pain will subside, and pride for their hero will take its place.

In such moments, Gerda comes to help Fabien once more. The dog lays her head on the widow's lap and licks her hand. The widow looks at her, pets her, and smiles through her tears.

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Gerda cannot stand being apart from her owner

Photo: from the hero's archive..