В рамках ініціативи Lancôme та «Твоя опора» до Дня матері вдалося зібрати 1 000 000 грн на операції дітям. Розповідаємо історії пацієнтів, які отримали шанс на здорове життя

Fighting Through War and Heart Disease: Maksym’s Story

From the moment Maksym was born, his parents knew he had a congenital heart defect. But the condition remained asymptomatic, and Maksym led a healthy, active life — even competing in professional swimming.

Everything changed on February 24, 2022, when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Maksym’s family lived in Saltivka, a district in Kharkiv that soon became one of the most heavily bombed areas. In early March, their home was destroyed by a missile. Maksym was unharmed, but his mother suffered a severe arm injury and underwent emergency surgery to save her limb.

The family endured 10 days of terror under relentless shelling before managing to evacuate to Poltava on March 14.

Once settled, they took Maksym to see local doctors. His condition alarmed them, and in early 2023, he was referred back to Kharkiv for further evaluation. Doctors confirmed that his heart was in critical condition and he needed surgery.

Initially, the family hoped to proceed with the operation in Kharkiv. But ongoing attacks made the frontline city unsafe, and they decided to seek care in Kyiv instead.

At the M.M. Amosov National Institute of Cardiovascular Surgery, doctors were stunned that Maksym had reached 15 years of age without surgery. They confirmed the urgent need for intervention.

Thanks to timely support, Maksym underwent a four-hour open-heart surgery. Surgeons widened his pulmonary artery, closed the septal defect, and corrected the heart’s structure. Maksym recovered like a true fighter — just one day in ICU, and no further surgeries will be needed.

Now, he’s on the road to full recovery — and dreaming of one day joining Ukraine’s Armed Forces to defend his country.

Maksym’s operation was made possible through the “Big Little Heart” project by the Tvoya Opora Foundation, with the generous support of Lancôme and their Mother’s Day charity initiative, which provided all essential medications and medical supplies free of charge.

The Tvoya Opora team wishes Maksym a swift recovery and continues working to give Ukrainian children a healthy future — no matter the challenges.