Whatever happened to .... the 12-year-old Ukrainian girl in need of a heart transplant?

Dr. Boris Todurov, left, performed bosom transplant room connected his patient, 12-year-old Kira Skilarova, 2nd from right, during a Russian onslaught connected Kyiv connected July 9. Kira received her bosom from a 4-year-ld woman who died earlier that evening astatine a infirmary crossed nan city. Also pictured are nan bosom donor's mother, 2nd from left, and Kira's mom, acold right. Kyiv Heart Institute hide caption

toggle caption

Kyiv Heart Institute

As a rule, nan stories successful our "following up" bid look backmost astatine erstwhile articles from Goats and Soda. But erstwhile freelance journalist Ruchi Kumar sounded nan thought of pursuing up connected media sum of a bosom transplant for a 12-year-old girl, whose bosom had been weakened by illness, we were interested. Doctors drove done 1 of nan astir sadistic Russian attacks connected Kyiv to cod a bosom donated by nan mother of a 4-year-old who had died of encephalon injuries from an accident. Here's a look astatine that bonzer nighttime — and really nan woman pinch nan transplant is now faring.

About This Series
We're looking backmost astatine immoderate of our favourite Goats and Soda stories to spot "whatever happened to ..."

On nan nighttime of July 9, Dr. Borys Todurov, nan head of nan Kyiv Heart Institute, received a telephone from a workfellow astatine nan Ohmatdyt Hospital crossed nan city. Earlier that evenings, a 4-year-old woman had died of encephalon injuries from an accident, and her parents had agreed to donate her organs.

Todurov had a diligent — Kira Skliarova, a 12-year-old woman from Luhansk region of Ukraine — who needed a caller bosom urgently. Childhood illnesses had severely weakened her ain heart. "She was connected nan waiting database for a agelong time, and conscionable 1 time earlier we implanted her pinch a mechanical heart, but she needed a transplant," he told NPR.

He had to consequence his ain life to complete nan surgery.

The donor's assemblage was located astir 10 miles from nan Heart Institute, which was connected that evening nether 1 of nan heaviest Russian attacks since nan commencement of nan full-scale warfare successful 2022.

"There were Russian missiles and drones everywhere, nan aerial ambush alert was going off," he said. "But we had a chance to prevention a life truthful took it."

A video made by Todurov shows their conveyance dodging explosions arsenic Ukrainian aerial defenses fought disconnected Russian drones. "On our way, we saw a batch of drones, and buildings that they targeted that were connected fire," he said.

Kira, center, still has a agelong roadworthy to retrieve but nan doctors are optimistic. "Treatment and rehabilitation are ahead," Todurov said, "but Kira now has a chance for a new, afloat life." Kira is flanked by her mother, right, and nan mother of her bosom donor, left. Kyiv Heart Institute hide caption

toggle caption

Kyiv Heart Institute

Girl pinch a surgery bosom

Kira's family was displaced during nan Russian penetration of their region successful 2014 and moved to Kyiv arsenic internally displaced refugees. In 2019, nan woman developed a terrible lawsuit of pneumonia, which yet led to inflammation of nan heart.

She was diagnosed pinch post-myocarditis condition, her mother Alyona Skliarova, told NPR complete a telephone call. For nan adjacent six years, Kira endured a rigorous supplier curen authorities and was often successful and retired of hospitals.

As her information worsened, particularly successful nan past six months, "her expert told us, 'It's clip to get her connected a waiting database for a caller heart,'" Skliarova said.

On July 8, her squad of doctors decided nan woman was facing imminent decease and truthful operated to fresh her pinch an artificial bosom — an assistive instrumentality to thief her assemblage pump blood. "When I came to her [after nan surgery], she was lying pinch that mechanism, pinch nan full point connected nan outside, I could spot nan humor circulating. [It looked] for illustration a suitcase, for illustration nan 1 we return pinch america erstwhile we spell to nan railway station," her mother said.

"I was truthful shocked, really shocked. That image was not for nan faint-hearted group to see," she said. "I wondered, if location isn't a philanthropist bosom available, really agelong could 1 unrecorded pinch this suitcase device."

When nan attacks of July 9 began, Kira was successful nan ICU aft her surgery. Her mother was successful nan infirmary but had to spell to a shelter because of nan aggravated bombing. Her hubby — Kira's dada — had died of COVID successful 2021.

Surgery nether fire

When news of nan philanthropist bosom came, Todurov did not hesitate.

There was a constricted model of clip to extract nan organ and past transplant it.

He and his unit — a scrub nurse, a surgeon and an anesthesiologist — drove to nan Ohmatdyt Children's Hospital amid nan bombing and began nan procedure, moreover arsenic nan crushed beneath their feet shivered from nan explosions.

"During nan extraction, we could not only perceive nan noises of drones and missiles but besides consciousness nan vibrations of nan explosion," he said. "We knew it was very, very dangerous, but erstwhile we had nan heart, it would only beryllium viable for a fewer hours extracurricular nan body, truthful we decided to carrier it correct away,"

Back astatine their ain hospital, Todurov's squad wasted nary clip to prep for nan bosom transplant — moreover arsenic they felt nan building shingle from nan explosions outside.

Despite nan expanding strength of attacks, they forged ahead. "Surgeries request to beryllium conducted pinch precision; you request attention, focus, and we are doing this pinch explosions astir us. We are moving to prevention lives, and they are sidesplitting civilians astir us," Todurov said.

"A chance astatine a caller life"

"It was a very superior onslaught that night, but nan full time, I was praying to each nan gods, Kira, Kira, Kira," her mother recalled. "Somehow we survived nan night, and erstwhile nan aerial ambush alarms ended, I went to spot Kira." Her girl nary longer needed to beryllium connected to nan artificial bosom contraption. "I felt a relief," she said.

"Our doctors — they are gods connected earth. I americium truthful grateful to them!"

Kira still has a agelong roadworthy to retrieve but nan doctors are optimistic. "Treatment and rehabilitation are ahead," Todurov said, "but Kira now has a chance for a new, afloat life."

The first 3 days aft nan transplant were sensitive, her mother said, arsenic her assemblage adjusted to nan caller heart. "She mislaid immoderate weight astatine first. Her organs didn't person capable blood. and she was vomiting erstwhile she ate."

After 3 days, Kira's assemblage embraced her caller bosom and her wellness began to improve.

"She has immoderate issues pinch spasticity, wherever her musculus are stiffened, connected nan correct broadside of her arm, limb and eye. But she is moving pinch a rehabilitation therapist," her mother said.

Bittersweet moment

Kira's transplant has been a bittersweet infinitesimal for nan mother of nan philanthropist — a 4-year aged woman whose organs helped prevention 2 different lives that fateful night.

The mother of nan philanthropist visited Kira, said Aloyna Skliarova, "and listened to her daughter's bosom hit successful Kira's chest. On nan 1 hand, that's a calamity for [her]. On nan different hand, it became a chance for life." She added pinch gratitude: "I respect her truthful much, and I'm truthful grateful for her decision. She gave my kid a chance to live."

Mother and girl are wished to make nan champion of this caller lease astatine life. "I dream we will person much walks successful parks, drawback up connected everything. There are a batch of things successful Kyiv that we haven't yet seen, because we've spent these six years successful hospitals aliases laying astatine location pinch nan sickness," Skliarova said.

One dream is to sojourn nan Carpathian Mountains. "I was location erstwhile and I want Kira to spot this beauty, spell for a walk, climb connected [the mount] Khomyak," she said. "We are readying to live. Just to bask life, pinch this caller heart. Only God knows what nan early will beryllium like, but yes, location is simply a will to live."

Ruchi Kumar is simply a journalist who reports connected conflict, politics, improvement and civilization successful India and Afghanistan. She is connected X astatine @RuchiKumar