Bohdan Tsaryk

A 17‑year‑old Bohdana Tsaryk is in her 6th month of pregnancy. During a medical examination she learned that she has a congenital heart defect. Doctors are urging an urgent operation to place vascular implants that will restore the vessel lumen. If the intervention is not performed within 2 weeks, Bohdana could lose her baby and even her own life! Free implants at the hospital have run out, and the small family cannot raise the necessary funds on their own in time

In the Amosov National Institute of Cardiovascular Surgery the diagnosis was confirmed. Bohdana’s arterial pressure rises to 220 and it is extremely difficult to control without relieving the aortic narrowing. Doctors insist on an urgent operation to place internal vascular implants—three of them, which will restore the vessel’s lumen. If the intervention is not performed within 2 weeks, the girl could lose her baby and even her life! Usually such operations at the Amosov National Institute of Cardiovascular Surgery are funded by the state, but unfortunately the implants ran out at the end of the year. Bohdana has no money to purchase the implants, as her parents have been stripped of parental rights. She is being raised by her older sister, who is the legal guardian of Bohdana and her fifteen‑year‑old younger sister. The older sister is married, has a husband and two small children. Only the husband works, because the sister stays at home caring for the kids.

Bohdana is not married yet, but the father of their future child will not abandon them. He is a young 20‑year‑old man who loves Bohdana and worries about her and the future baby. He has just started a new job, is on a probationary period, and is renting a room. Unfortunately, in such a short time Bohdana and her relatives are unable to raise such a large sum on their own.

On 26.12.13 the project started. But because the New Year holidays were approaching, we were very anxious and understood that most likely we would not raise the needed amount. All that remained for us and Bohdan was to pray and hope for a miracle. And a miracle happened: within just one day, after reading Bohdan’s story on the Ukrainian Charity Exchange website, people could not remain indifferent. With the help of donors, an amount of 7 633 UAH was collected. Since the operation had to be performed urgently and there was no time to wait, as a result of our appeal to the Ukrainian Charity Exchange NGO, a decision was made to transfer from the “Health” fund the sum of 52 367 UAH, and on 27.12.13 the project was closed.

Regarding the operation, not only Bohdana was worried, but also the doctors, and we as well, because the surgery was complex and no one knew how it would turn out. December 30 – the operation lasted five hours (from 11:00 to 16:00). Thanks to the prayers of relatives and the skill of the surgeons, the first stage of the operation was successful. Professor Yuliia Volodymyrivna Davydova from the Institute of Pediatric and Adolescent Cardiology of the National Medical Academy of Ukraine was present at the surgery, monitoring the fetus’s viability before and after the procedure. Bohdana Tsaryk and her future baby feel well after the endovascular intervention. The surgeons managed to lower the pressure by half, from 220 to 150. Unfortunately, the defect could not be fully corrected, as further intervention could have harmed the mother and the baby, but the most critical task that threatened their lives was accomplished.

After Bohdana's birth, she will need to undergo the second stage of the endovascular intervention, which will be less complex and completely free of charge for her. During the pre‑operative assessment, surgeons anticipated that three implants would have to be placed during the operation, each costing 20 000 UAH, so the foundation was billed 60 000 UAH, which the Ukrainian Charity Exchange transferred to the Future Hearts foundation’s account on 28.12.13. However, during the surgery the doctors used only one stent (implant) costing 40 000 UAH; the remaining amount, with the permission of the UCE, will be re‑allocated by the Future Hearts foundation to its upcoming projects, for which a detailed report will be provided after their implementation.

8.01.14 Bohdana was transferred from the Amosov National Institute of Cardiovascular Surgery of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine to the IPAG of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine for further monitoring of her pregnancy. On January 20 Bohdana Tsaryk was discharged from the IPAG of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine to go home before delivery, as there are no indications for her continued stay in the hospital. Bohdana and her unborn child are feeling well. She will give birth at the IPAG of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.

Name: Bohdan Tsaryk, 1996

City: Kharkiv region, Volkovskyi district; village Vysokopillya

Diagnosis: congenital heart defect – coarctation of the aorta

All details and documentation are here.