Tiny Heart, Big Fight

When Marichka was just three days old, her life was in danger. She could no longer breathe on her own. The little girl was urgently transported to St. Nicholas Children’s Hospital in Lviv—the only place where she could be saved. Her heart was failing.

Doctors diagnosed her with critical aortic stenosis—a rare defect that blocks normal blood flow and literally prevents the heart from working. This condition occurs in only 3% of children with congenital heart defects, and without urgent surgery, the baby simply would not have survived.

Seven hours of surgery, two stages of the operation, a new heart valve, high-precision equipment, and the golden hands of doctors—and Marichka is alive!

But every day, the hospital receives tiny patients just like her. Their hearts need not only the expertise of doctors but also specialized equipment that allows critical problems to be detected in time and saves children before their condition becomes life-threatening.

St. Nicholas Children’s Hospital in Lviv, part of the First Medical Association of Lviv, is a leading medical institution that treats hundreds of young patients daily. Every year, around 28,000 children are hospitalized here, while more than 90,000 receive consultations and examinations. This is a hospital that takes on the most complex cases, including newborns in critical condition, children affected by war, patients with severe traumatic brain injuries, children with cancer, infants with congenital pathologies, and other seriously ill young patients.

Doctors work around the clock and need the most advanced equipment to save lives.

Right now, there is an urgent need to purchase a high-precision Holter ECG monitor, which will help track the condition of the smallest patients’ hearts and detect critical rhythm disturbances that could be life-threatening.

A Holter ECG monitor is a device that allows doctors to continuously monitor a baby’s heart for 24-48 hours. Babies cannot explain that their heart hurts or that they feel discomfort, but this device independently records alarming signals and helps doctors diagnose critical conditions at early stages. This device is also essential for monitoring children after complex surgeries—it is crucial to ensure that the heart is recovering properly.

With the Holter monitor, doctors can detect hidden pathologies—some heart problems do not appear immediately, and without such monitoring, they are impossible to notice. With this equipment, doctors can make quick decisions—if they see that the heart’s condition is deteriorating, they can intervene immediately and save a life.

Most importantly, the Holter monitor reduces the risk of complications and sudden cardiac arrest—especially in premature babies or children with complex diagnoses.

Every day, the doctors at St. Nicholas Children’s Hospital fight for the lives of the tiniest patients. They need this device to save even more children!

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