Herman Denys

Denys is only 1 year and 8 months old, and he has already undergone two heart surgeries. To fully heal the little boy’s heart, an intracardiac implant is urgently needed; doctors recommend performing the operation within two weeks to prevent complications! The boy needs an intracardiac implant and closure of the heart defect – a perimembranous ventricular septal defect.

Denys was born with multiple atrial septal defects and pulmonary hypertension. In November 2015 he underwent a surgery to narrow the pulmonary artery (a special band was placed on it) so that it would protect the lungs from irreversible changes. If that had not been done, a heart and lung transplant would later have been required. But, thanks to God, everything went well! Thanks to the band, the small atrial septal defects closed, leaving only one—a muscular defect near the top of the heart.

The next stage of treatment involves removing the band and closing the defect. The surgeons placed it in a way that it can be removed endovascularly, because the more the band sits on the pulmonary artery, the more it deforms it. To close the defect located at the top of the little heart, an implant is needed, which will be placed for the boy using an endovascular (or hybrid) method. How will this be done? The surgeon will remove the band through a mini‑incision, then make a puncture in the front wall of the heart and, under ultrasound guidance, insert an occluder to close the defect. Such procedures are considered very complex and state‑of‑the‑art. However, the occluder must be purchased by the parents themselves, and it costs 101 864 UAH.

If the operation isn’t performed in time, the walls of the right ventricle will thicken over time, and its cavity will become very small. It won’t be able to take in enough blood, and the boy will develop heart failure. Moreover, the child will start to “turn blue” and suffer from oxygen deprivation, which will delay his mental and physical development.

For the Herman family, 100 000 UAH is a staggering amount! They live in a small village, have two children, and the father has no permanent job because it’s very difficult to find work in the village; he “gets by” with seasonal side jobs. The mother also does not work, as she cares for the children. The family has a garden and livestock – that’s how they survive. With their own efforts and the help of acquaintances and relatives, they managed to raise 21 400 UAH. The rest they cannot raise on their own, so they are turning to all caring people for help: please help save the life of their beloved little son! Let’s together save the heart and life of little Denis!

Full name: Herman Denys Arturovych, 21.07.2015

City: v. Stanivtsi, Chernivtsi region

Diagnosis: congenital heart defect – perimembranous ventricular septal defect

All details and documentation are here.