Kazarin: 10 years of tradition in saving children's hearts.2

On December 3, Ukrainian Armed Forces Sergeant Pavlo Kazarin celebrates his birthday.

Every year, Pavlo launches a charity fundraiser to purchase heart implants (occluders) for children born with heart defects. For these children, an occluder is not just a medical device. It is a chance to live, run, breathe without pain, and move forward into the future without fear.

This year, Pavlo has already raised money for six children from different regions of Ukraine as part of the project

Today, we are launching a second project to support three more children whose lives and futures depend on a heart implant.

1. Midza Elizaveta, 4 years old, Ivano-Frankivsk region.

A gentle and very sensitive girl who loves to draw and treat her teddy bears, dreaming of becoming a doctor. Since early childhood, Liza has been living with a diagnosis of secondary atrial septal defect, which causes her heart to tire quickly. She gets tired quickly when playing. An occluder is her chance for a healthy childhood. The family suffered a heavy loss: in 2025, Liza's father died. Her mother is raising two children on her own without a stable income. The family cannot afford to pay for the implant on their own.

2. Petrakivska Oleksandra, 4 years old, Vinnytsia region.

Oleksandra has been under the supervision of cardiologists since the first months of her life. Over time, her condition worsened: VSD syndrome, patent ductus arteriosus, bicuspid aortic valve. The latest examination confirmed that the ductus is wide and urgent endovascular closure with an occluder is required. The family lives on a small income and cannot afford to purchase the implant.

3. Buzykin Mark, 10 years old, Chernivtsi.  

Mark is a sincere, smiling boy who loves cars, can spend hours building LEGO cities, and dreams of traveling around Ukraine after his “heart stops getting tired so quickly.” At three months old, doctors diagnosed him with a secondary atrial septal defect and signs of chronic heart failure. Outwardly, Mark is active and inquisitive, but his games often end too soon: his heart cannot withstand the strain, he becomes short of breath, and has to rest for a long time. Doctors are unanimous: Mark needs an occluder — an implant that will close the defect and protect his heart. This is his chance for a full childhood. The family is in a very difficult situation. Both his mother and father are disabled and are raising several children. His mother has been awarded the title of “heroine mother.” They cannot afford the implant and surgery on their own.

Wish Pavlo a happy birthday and do a good deed that can give these children a healthy heart, a full childhood, and the opportunity to live without pain and fatigue.