Belan Darinka

Dasha received a disability at the age of 9. Three years ago the girl was examined by doctors against a background of chronic bronchitis. They were searching for the cause of these persistent illnesses, but were forced to make a much more serious diagnosis. In Dasha a congenital heart defect was found – a secondary atrial septal defect. The child urgently needs surgery to install an implant that would correct the defect. The goal of this project is to help Dasha’s low‑income family raise money to purchase such an implant.

Because of her illness, Dasha went to study at Boarding School No. 4 for children with heart defects. In addition to her school lessons, she is under constant care of the medical staff there, receives treatment, and does not physically overexert herself.

The latest examination Dasha underwent in Kyiv at the Scientific and Practical Medical Center of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine. The doctors advised not to wait and to urgently perform an endovascular operation that will fully correct the defect, because with each passing year the disease will progress and the defect will enlarge. The heart defect will constantly and relentlessly worsen the girl’s overall health. The surgery itself is free of charge, but the occluder—the implant that must be placed in Dasha’s heart to close the interatrial septal defect—costs 32 000 UAH.

For the family, this is a huge amount of money; they won’t be able to raise it on their own. They don’t have their own home and all live in the great‑grandmother’s two‑room apartment. They live together with their grandmother, who is a second‑group disabled person: she has a tumor on her left eye, and her vision is gradually fading. The great‑grandmother is also very elderly and has many of her own ailments; the retirees need constant care and assistance.

Dasha is an active, cheerful, sociable child. She loves animals very much and wants to become a veterinarian when she grows up. Dasha dreams of dancing, but unfortunately, because of her illness this is not possible yet. The project started on 05.12.13. Fundraising was carried out using the online service UBB. The TV channel STB, in support of the girl, produced a story and aired two episodes in “Windows” on the same day at 18.00 and 22.00. The story of Dasha Belan and her family touched the hearts of many people. After the first story aired, half of the needed funds had been collected, and after the second story aired at 23.00 the project was already closed. 277 men were moved by Dasha’s story and her family; in record time the necessary funds were gathered, proving that together we are strong!

On 18 December 2013, a successful operation to close a congenital heart defect—a secondary atrial septal defect—was performed at the Scientific and Practical Medical Center of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine on Dasha Belan. On 20 December 2013, Dasha was discharged as a healthy child. Her disability status will soon be removed, and thanks to donor support, her dream of dancing will become a reality.

Name: Belan Dasha, 25.05.2004 b.

City: Dnipro

Diagnosis: Congenital heart defect – secondary interventricular defect

All details and documentation are here.