Initiative Group Upgrade Camp 2018

Every year in Ukraine, 5 500 children are born with a congenital heart defect. 1 000 of them can be saved with a modern surgical method. On average, the cost of a single implant that gives a child a full recovery is between 50 and 100 thousand hryvnias. The initiative group “Synyaky” Upgrade Camp 2018 is starting a charitable challenge #nykaplyvrot in collaboration with the Ukrainian Charity Exchange to save children's lives.

We want to help purchase life‑saving heart implants for little Sofia and Mark! 17 minutes of laughter adds a year to life. 30 minutes of running each day adds 20 years. 1 cocktail lifts the mood by 25%. And 300 cocktails equal one child's life. A child's life fits into just 300 of our glasses. By giving up drinking for even 30 days you can save a life.

Mark’s story:

Marku is one and a half years old and urgently needs an operation to implant an intracardiac device (occluder), as the boy has a congenital heart defect—an open arterial duct. The child has been under constant cardiologist supervision since birth.

The delivery was difficult, Marko was born with low weight and also with a congenital heart defect. Over the past year the duct has enlarged twofold and Marko is not gaining weight, so the boy needs an urgent operation. The family managed to raise 15000 UAH on their own. But they do not have the remaining 64929 UAH, so they are reaching out to all caring people to help them heal their little sunshine. Let’s together help the one‑and‑a‑half‑year‑old Marko have a healthy heart!

Full name: Hovorukha Mark Vitaliyovych

Date of birth: 01.10.2016

Diagnosis: congenital heart defect – patent ductus arteriosus

Sofiia's Story:

8-year-old Sofiika needs help. The girl was born a healthy child, but she fell ill often and spent time in hospitals. One day this little sunshine complained of chest pain, and the parents immediately sprang into action and rushed to have her tiny heart examined by cardiologists. And then the shock: Sofiika has a congenital heart defect – an open arterial duct. She was promptly referred to the Amosov National Institute of Cardiovascular Surgery for a consultation.

The diagnosis was confirmed here, and they began monitoring the girl's health. Doctors gave hope that the defect might close on its own, but that never happened… The child is growing, falling ill more often and tiring quickly. At a scheduled consultation, the mother was told that the shunt needs to be closed, as it will not disappear on its own. The physicians recommend closing it via an endovascular approach using an occluder. The operation itself is performed free of charge at the Amosov National Institute of Cardiovascular Surgery, but the implant must be purchased independently. Its price is 78 110 UAH.

The Lemak family is an average Ukrainian family. Sonia’s mother works as a pharmacist, the father as a tractor driver, but their salaries are too low to afford an implant on their own. The family also has an older son, who is 16, and he is also registered at the Amosov National Institute of Cardiovascular Surgery, where he has an open coronary window. Thank God, he does not need surgery, but he also falls ill often and a significant portion of the family’s income goes to treating children. The parents tried to raise funds on their own, but they managed to collect only 30 000 UAH; we plan to raise the remaining amount through UBB.

This is 48 110 UAH. Therefore, the parents are reaching out to all caring people for help. Support Sofiika!

link to the project: https://ubb.org.ua/ru/project/4302/