Melnyk Artem

This boy is named Artem. He is 7 years old and lives with a congenital heart defect. During an examination the doctors delivered frightening news: Artem has a secondary defect of the atrial septum and needs heart surgery. Not a lot, not a little – about 100 000 UAH. That is the price for a healthy heart for this boy.

The Melnykiv family consists of four people, three of whom have disabilities, and in fact the family lives on a single pension. The father sometimes does odd jobs in construction and around the house, but this is far from enough for living, let alone to buy an occluder. The boy’s mother does not work, she looks after the children at home. Because of the disability the family was forced to move closer to Kyiv. Now the Melnykivs live in relatives’ house in Vorzely, as they have no their own dwelling. By their own efforts they managed to collect 47 thousand UAH: relatives, friends, acquaintances and strangers helped. But they do not know where to get more money. The family is desperate, as this is an insurmountable sum on which their son’s life depends. The funds we raise for UBB will be used to purchase the occluder, and the operation itself will be performed free of charge at the Amosov National Institute of Cardiovascular Surgery. The boy’s parents appeal to everyone who can and wants to help: make sure Artem’s little heart becomes healthy!

Full name: Melnyk Artem Vitaliyovych, 12.06.2009

City: Vorzol

Diagnosis: secondary atrial septal defect

All details and documentation are here.