A Heart for a Dreamer: Katia’s Story

Katia grew up a healthy girl in a loving family filled with warmth and harmony. A bright and creative child, she dreamed of becoming a fashion designer. Her parents occasionally noticed that she would tire more quickly than her siblings while playing outside, but since every check-up had always gone well, they pushed aside any dark thoughts.

Until one routine visit changed everything.

At 14 years old, during a standard medical examination before the school year, a cardiologist detected a heart murmur. With a sense of unease, her parents followed up with their family doctor, who referred Katia to the Amosov National Institute of Cardiovascular Surgery in Kyiv. But then the full-scale war broke out, and the family, living in Kupiansk district, Kharkiv region, found themselves in the midst of intense shelling. Fearing for their lives, they postponed the trip to Kyiv.

As time passed, Katia’s condition worsened. The constant fear, the stress of war, the sounds of explosions — all took a toll on her health. She began experiencing shortness of breath and heart palpitations. Her parents knew they couldn’t wait any longer and rushed her to Kyiv.

There, doctors confirmed the diagnosis: a secundum atrial septal defect (ASD). Holes in her heart were gradually weakening her body. Katia needed urgent surgery.

She spent 4 hours and 20 minutes on the operating table. Every second felt like eternity for her parents. But when the surgeon stepped out and said the words they longed to hear — “The operation was successful” — they felt like they could breathe again. Seeing Katia’s smile in the recovery room sealed their joy.

Full of determination, Katia told her parents, “Now I can do anything!” Her dream of becoming a fashion designer, just like her idol and fellow Kharkiv native Andre Tan, now feels within reach. She’s already studying to become a seamstress, taking her first confident steps toward her big goal. It seems that this time, the doctors may have saved the future heart of Ukraine’s fashion industry.

Katia’s family is deeply grateful to Lancôme for supporting her during this critical time. Their assistance with medications and medical supplies made the surgery and recovery possible.

This was all part of Lancôme’s “Big Little Heart” project for St. Nicholas Day 2023 — a project that continues to bring hope and healing to children with heart conditions across Ukraine.