Karolina Velychko

Little Karolina from the Kherson region needs an urgent heart operation. The girl has a congenital heart defect – an 8 mm atrial septal defect. The family lives in a village; only the father works, while the mother stays at home on maternity leave with Karolina. The operation at the Amosov National Institute of Cardiovascular Surgery will be performed free of charge, but they still need to purchase a cardiac implant that will close the little window in the girl's heart. However, the sum of almost 100 000 UAH is unaffordable for an ordinary Ukrainian family.

Karolina's health has always worried her parents; the little girl was frail and constantly ill. After the examination and the grim diagnosis, her dad and mom realized that their whole lives now depended on whether they could raise the required amount. And they have until April—time is running out, and the parents are desperate: what can they sell when they have nothing?! How can they save their daughter?… Karolina is very active, loves discovering new things, but at two years old she weighs only 11 kg, eats very poorly, doesn't gain weight, and often catches colds—all because of her heart defect. Karolina's operation will be performed using a modern endovascular technique, without general anesthesia, chest incision, or a long rehabilitation. However, the price of the implant (occluder) needed for the surgery is overwhelming for the Velychko family. On their own they have managed to raise 20 000 UAH; we plan to collect the rest of the sum on UBB.

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Full name: Velychko Karolina Oleksandrivna, 28.10.2016

City: v. Novooleksandrivka, Kherson region

Diagnosis: congenital heart defect – secondary defect of the interatrial septum