Artyom is the happiest part of my life. I think I’ve lived 34 years just to see him come to this world. No one around me believed I could conceive. But I didn’t give up hope, just because I already loved my unborn baby. When I did get pregnant after 7 years of unsuccessful attempts, I was so happy! Every kick was a huge event. It feels incredible to watch a new life start.
After a while I could hold my little treasure in my hands, my little baby boy Artyom. My mom was calling me on the phone with tears of happiness in her voice, my husband was waiting by the hospital windows, I was so happy!
That’s when the doctors gave their verdict: congenital heart disorder. The baby needed a surgery urgently, or he would die. I thought the world had collapsed. I could not believe it was real when the ambulance took us to Bakulev’s medical center and Artyom was looking at me so seriously as if he could not understand my tears. His eyes were saying: «I am here! I am born! You should be glad!»
Later the doctor told me that the surgery did not fix all the problems, but saved my son’s life. In the future he will need heart valve surgeries, he’ll have to take medication all the time and deal with all the side effects. Everything seemed to be in a fog...
Artyom is a little more than 12 months old now. We call him Temka, Artyomka, Tyusha. He loves his stuffed toys, always kisses and hugs them. He eats only when the music is on, he also likes to beat the drum. He laughs every time he sees a dog or a cat on the street. He is very playful, sometimes too much, and if I tell him to stop he gives me a Cheshire cat’s smile.
We found out about the Ross procedure surgery that can only be done in Germany. It is very complicated, but it will give our son a good chance to survive. He won’t have to take medication and the most important part is that he won’t need any more open-heart surgeries. This surgery costs 36,500 euros. I beg you, if you have a possibility, please help. The doctors recommend the surgery to be done before the end of September. Artyom’s condition now is stable, he is taking several medicines. However, his heart is failing and the surgery can become impossible.
