Ukraine Children's Aid Fund - Life-saving Heart Surgery for Daria

November 23, 2024

Life-saving Heart Surgery for Daria

Daria’s Story: A Life Saved by UCAF Donors

Daria is a 9-year-old girl from Kherson, Ukraine who urgently needed heart surgery for a heart malformation known as Atrial Septal Defect. Her family’s access to medical care in Ukraine has been repeatedly disrupted by the Russian invasion and occupation. Daria’s father serves in the Ukrainian army, leaving her mother, Tetiana, to care for Daria and her older sister, Diana, amidst a constant threat of bombing along with a lack of available healthcare. As you read on, you will learn why this family was losing all hope to find a way for Daria to receive the life-saving heart surgery she so desperately needed… until they learned of what the generous donors and supporters of Ukraine Children’s Aid Fund could make possible!

The background to Daria’s story begins on October 2021, when Daria began to experience significant chest pain. An ultrasound was performed at a hospital in Kherson revealing that Daria had congestive heart failure resulting from Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIjD3MSVfRE]. So, the family travelled to Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, in search of a clear diagnosis of her heart and, they were told that only surgery could repair her heart – a very expensive procedure. Given that all this took place during the COVID pandemic, they were told to return to Kherson, wait through the winter, and come back to the clinic the following spring. So, their hope was to have the surgery take place in the spring of 2022 at that specific heart clinic in Kiev.

Then, unexpectedly for everyone, Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, delaying all hopes and plans of treatment indefinitely! During this time of Russian occupation, life throughout Ukraine was very difficult for everyone causing nervous breakdowns, leaving many with worries and concerns about the future. They didn’t know how to live, what to do, or where to go. Fortunately, they were able to escape the occupied territory of Kherson at the beginning of May 2022 and move to Odessa – making them one of millions of displaced families in their own homeland. Kherson was eventually liberated from Russian occupation in November 2023, allowing them to return to what remained of their home.

Following two plus years since the original diagnosis, they felt the need to have Daria evaluated again. So in the spring of 2024, they went to the children’s cardiologist at the hospital in Kherson. The doctor had no knowledge of them or of Daria’s condition because they went directly to Kiev in 2022 after the initial ultrasound without sharing that information with their local doctor in Kherson. He confirmed the previous diagnosis and the urgent need for surgery – but when and where?

In May of 2024, Serhii Kukushkin (UCAF’s Field Director) reached out to various doctors in Ukraine to see if there were any children who needed critical medical assistance that either could not be performed in Ukraine or was too expensive for families to afford. UCAF was able to take advantage of a special U.S. program called Uniting for Ukraine making it possible for Ukrainians to receive a temporary VISA status to enter the U.S. along with many of the benefits offered through Medical Assistance.

The financial investment made by UCAF supporters is what enabled Tetiana, Daria, and Diana to travel to the United States in September of 2024 (at no cost to them) to have Daria’s heart repaired on November 21^st, 2024, by means of cardiac catheterization at Children’s Hospital in Birmingham, AL – one the finest hospitals for children in the USA, performed by one of the top heart surgeons in the USA. “I am so thankful to your team, to the volunteers, and to everyone who helped to make this surgery possible. Now we know for sure that we are not forgotten and that our children are not forgotten. God bless you all!” Tetiana

Update on Daria’s surgery and current health. According to the surgeons, Daria’s heart surgery was a complete success and she continues to recover well. If you would like to support her ongoing care and ensure she receives the follow-up treatment she needs, please consider making a tax-deductible donation via the DONATE NOW button.