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March 14, 2021Lech Walesa, an icon of Poland's fight against the Communist regime in the 1980s, posted a disturbing video message announcing his hospitalization, without giving a date for his discharge.
"I'll go into the hospital. What comes next, only time will tell," the 77-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner and former Polish president said in the Facebook video.
"So, since I don't know when we will meet again or if we will meet at all, I would like to say that I have done everything to serve the nation well," he added without providing any medical details on his health condition.
"Until next time, if fate allows me to stay on this earth for a while longer. If not, pray for me", concluded the former leader of the Solidarity trade union movement which peacefully ended communism in Poland in 1989.
His secretary, Marek Kaczmar, said Walesa's hospitalization is for a scheduled replacement of his pacemaker battery.
"But there are complications. It turns out that part of the wire in the heart is probably broken," he said.
After hinting at the possibility of an emergency operation tonight, he said the surgery would take place on Monday.
"We are optimistic. The boss is strong. He has survived a lot of fights, so let's hope he comes out stronger from this," said Kaczmar.