Karvatskyi Artem

A 15‑year‑old boy named Artem has a disability. In 2006, doctors discovered that he had a congenital heart defect – coarctation of the aorta. Artem underwent balloon angioplasty of the coarctation – a recoarctation of the aorta, with second‑degree arterial hypertension. Unfortunately, the operation did not bring the desired result. Recently, his condition has worsened significantly: the boy complains of severe headache, his blood pressure has risen to 160/100, and he urgently needs surgery.

Artem suffers from severe leg pain and occasional cramps; he is receiving blood‑thinning medication because he is prone to clot formation. All physical activity has been prohibited for him. Artem urgently needs a cardiac implant (stent) to widen the narrowing in his aorta, which will normalize his blood pressure and restore the heart’s physiological function. If the stent is not placed in time, the excessively high pressure in the vessels of his brain could lead to a stroke at any moment. The Karvatchkykh family is calling on all caring people to help heal his heart and save the life of their beloved son!

Letter from a mother:

Our family is reaching out for help! Our son Artem was diagnosed with heart failure, first detected in 2006 when an EchoCG was performed because of a heart murmur. Diagnosis: congenital heart defect – coarctation of the aorta, bicuspid aortic valve with first‑degree stenosis. In 2012, at the regional clinical hospital’s pediatric cardiac surgery department, we underwent balloon angioplasty of the coarctation. Unfortunately, the procedure did not yield a result; after the balloon angioplasty the condition is recoarctation of the aorta and second‑degree arterial hypertension.

Currently, my son's blood pressure rises to 160/100, especially during physical exertion. He turned 15 in April, which is a period of intense adolescent growth and adds extra strain on the body, especially the heart. Elevated pressure in the upper part of the body can trigger a stroke or a heart attack.

We turned to the Amosov National Institute of Cardiovascular Surgery, received a recommendation to urgently perform an endovascular operation using modern high‑technology equipment with the placement of an expanding stent at the site of the aortic coarctation. The operation is free of charge, but the intracardiac implant costs a very large amount of money for our family.

We cannot pay for the stent and the balloon right now, as the operation is recommended to be done urgently. In our family only one man works; we have a very large loan in dollar equivalent that we have to pay monthly for the house we currently live in. Therefore we cannot sell anything or take another loan. Our younger daughter is also ill (the child has a speech development delay) and also needs treatment. With the help of relatives and acquaintances we have collected 50 000 UAH. But we still lack 46 407 UAH. We appeal to all caring people to help cure our beloved little son!

We will be sincerely grateful for any assistance you can provide.

With respect and hope, Tetiana and Ihor.

Full name: Karpatskyi Artem Ihorovych, 19.04.2000

City: Ivano-Frankivsk region

Diagnosis: congenital heart defect – coarctation of the aorta, stage 1 arterial hypertension

All details and documentation are here.