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Cardiac Stories: Meet Maxim, Edik & Misha
Today in Ukraine, 6000 children are born every year with genetic heart defects. Over half of these children will not get the surgeries they need to survive, and will die. We send volunteer medical teams to Ukraine and Belarus to perform surgeries for free, and to save lives. Behind the statistics are real children, please read Maxim and Edik's stories and see how your generous donations have helped to save their lives.
Meet six year old Maxim M., from Odessa, Ukraine, he dreams of being a pop star. His mother is a bit more practical – she wants him to get a university education and become a doctor. Less than six months ago both of these dreams were out of reach. Maxim was born with Ebstein’s anomoly, a rare cardiac defect with a dire prognosis. He had survived two serious operations – his first at only 12 days of age – but only a single chamber of his heart was left functioning. His devastated parents were told that we would likely die before adulthood.
When a volunteer cardiac surgery team sent by Chernobyl Children’s Project International met Maxim in August, his skin color was pale and his lips blue. He was underweight and noticeably small for his age, and his poor circulation left him unable to participate in normal activities. The volunteers examined Maxim and decided that his heart was strong enough for one more operation.
But during surgery Maxim’s heart – scarred from previous operations – failed four times and had to be shocked back to life. In the end his strong heart won the battle – I’ve been told that he can live a long, normal life without further surgery.
Maxim’s father long worked extra hours as a fisherman to raise funds to pay for a surgery to save his son’s life – but never raised enough. Though the generosity of supporters like you, Chernobyl Children’s Project International was able give Maxim his operation free. Finally, the biggest question weighing his mind (and that of his relieved parents) is: Pop star or doctor?
Maxim’s life has been saved, but many other children need our help, and we can do it if we join together.
Edik's Story
Meet Edik, when we first met him he was 7 months old. In Kharkiv, Ukraine this past June, he suffered from three separate heart defects. Emaciated and losing muscle, he was starving to death in spite of the loving attentions of his mother and grandmother. For little Edik, feeding was like running a marathon: All the calories he took in went to feed his respiratory and heart muscles, which were working double time to compensate for holes in his heart that sent too much blood to his lungs and not enough to his small body.
Examining Edik prior to surgery, Dr. William Novick and his volunteer team were shocked to see a total lack of muscle or fat tissue, and wondered about his prospects for survival. But Edik defined our expectations: Four hours after surgery he was in his grandmother's lap eagerly feeding from a bottle.
Last month, a 9 month old Edik returned to the hospital in Kharkiv to reunite with the volunteers who saved his life. His elated mother called him a "changed child," but the photo below says it all.
Misha's Story
When Misha was four months old, he was diagnosed with a VSD – a hole between the two pumping chambers of his heart. The defect caused too much blood to flow to his lungs, making his heart work harder and harder to supply blood to his tiny body. For Misha, the most common childlike activities were like running a marathon.
Over the next three years of his life, Misha suffered repeated lung infections and became increasingly frail. His devastated parents were told that his disabilities would increase, and that he would not live to see adulthood.
Last August, a free operation changed Misha’s life forever. One week after bringing him in, his parents were laughing and joking as they prepared for their long journey home. The support from CCPI donors made their journey one of hope rather than heartbreak.
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