Vladimir Chernyakov, born June 12,.2014
Diagnosis: Atrial septal defect (ASD)
Telephone numbers of parents and volunteers
ATTENTION! AS AT 11/08/2016 city: Fundraising closed!!
With the help of caring people from Kiev Vlad operated. The child does not need help.
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Inna and her husband were very happy when they learned they were having a child. On June 12, 2014 their son Vovka (little Vlad) was born at only 4 lb 12 oz and 17.7 in long. Although the baby was small, everything seemed fine. On the third day after his birth, however, a blood test showed blast cells which meant leukemia. The baby had to be fed via a gastrostomy tube since he was not able to eat well or gain weight. Vovka spent the next month in the hospital being treated before he was transferred to the care of doctors in the Hematology department of the Zaporizhzhya Regional Hospital. After three months, the cells began to disappear and Vovka was allowed to go home with his mother for the first time. At last, with their baby at home, it seemed all their worries were over. Inna, with her son asleep at home, believed that this terrible experience was behind them. Unfortunately, there was another challenge to come.
When Vovka turned one, the doctor found that he had an atrial septal defect. In a normal heart the right and left sections are separated by a thin wall which develops to close the foramen ovale in utero. The doctor told them the defect could be treated by medicine.
After a few months where he was not able to gain much weight and his growth was poor, Inna became worried and arranged another visit with a specialist. Her worries were soon confirmed. The medicine had not helped and the defect in his heart was actually growing worse.
The toddler was sent for an urgent evaluation at the Amosov National Institute of Cardiovascular Surgery in Kiev. The doctors confirmed the diagnosis and scheduled the surgery for September 2016 to insert an occluder which can be done by catheter. Once it is inserted and attached, new tissue will grow in and over the occluder within six months healing the heart. If the defect is not corrected it could lead to even more serious problems than he faces now including cyanosis, pulmonary hypertension, arrhythmia, or even heart failure. To pay for the surgery, including the occluder, it is necessary to raise $3,852. Inna and Andrei both work, but they are not able to pay for this expensive surgery on their own.
We appeal to all who can help save the life of this toddler.
The family lives in the city of Zaporozhe.
The family’s contact information: +38 066 573 60 14 (Inna – the mother)
To get more detailed information, you can contact The Happy Child Foundation