As part of the Lancôme and "Tvoya Opora" initiative, we are sharing the stories of children who have undergone heart surgeries.

Maksym’s story is one of eight years of waiting, trials, and ultimately, victory.
He was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect immediately after birth. Despite a healthy pregnancy, another child was not spared from this condition. Every year in Ukraine, around 4,500 children are born with heart defects. These conditions are among the leading causes of child mortality. Yet, congenital heart defects can often be treated — and surgery is frequently the key to saving a child’s life.

Maksym’s treatment began in Zaporizhzhia, where doctors explained that he would need to grow at least until the age of one before surgery could be safely performed. To maximize his chances, the family was referred for additional consultations — first to Okhmatdyt Children's Hospital, and then to the National Amosov Institute of Cardiovascular Surgery.

Maksym remained under observation at the Institute for seven years, waiting for the right moment for surgery. Doctors aimed to delay the "day X" as long as possible, allowing him time to grow stronger.
Every six months, his parents traveled to Kyiv for check-ups, where doctors each time confirmed — it was not yet the right time.

Finally, in November, the doctors gave the green light for surgery. Maksym underwent a four-hour operation. Fortunately, everything went well, and our brave little patient spent only two days in intensive care.
Whether further surgical interventions will be needed remains uncertain — time will tell.

But one thing is already clear: eight-year-old Maksym dreams of becoming a doctor himself — to help others, just as others once helped him.

We are sincerely grateful to Lancôme for making this surgery possible. Thanks to the joint initiative launched for Mother’s Day, 1,000,000 UAH was raised to fund surgeries for children.
Maksym’s family’s journey was long and difficult — but it was also filled with faith and the unwavering hope for a better future for their son and for all children facing similar challenges.