A piece of heart

The charity project of the chain of gadgets and accessories shops "Citrus" #aPieceOfHeart aims to save children with congenital heart disease. 4 500 children are born annually in Ukraine with this diagnosis, and it's 6-8 cases per 1 000 births. The state annually helped cover most of the costs of occluders for 200 families who can't afford this expensive, but necessary for a child's life operation. Due to the complicated situation inside the country, this assistance is now suspended.

Today, due to the lack of funds for cardiac implants (occluders) kids are treated by cardio surgical correction by the chest incision. After this, the children are undergoing the rehabilitation courses for a long time, but because of obligatory cardiac arrest during surgery they may have serious complications.

The aim of our project is to raise funds for the purchasing of occluders, which will be implanted into the hearts of the children. Such treatment is being done without an incision, cardiac arrest and deep anesthesia. Moreover, patients don't require the rehabilitation courses, and after 1-2 days they are discharged completely healthy. These bloodless operations performed in the National Institute of Cardiovascular Surgery of Amosov, as well as Scientific and Practical Center of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.

That is why "Citrus" begins the first Ukrainian charity reality show "A part of heart" to give each Ukrainian the possibility to join a fundraising of 1 mln UAH to purchase occluders for children with congenital heart disease. You and I can save 20 kids with congenital heart disease. 1 000 000 UAH for 1 month — these are lives. October 22, we found out the name of the hero of the project, a blogger who would save 20 lives through using social networks, while living 30 days in a glass showcase of Citrus on Khreshchatyk, 52 — Maksym (Ledokol) Bakhmatov. Let's help Maksym to do it, because only together we can save children!