The war robs Ukrainian children of their childhood, destroys their dreams and cripples their lives. Russian shelling causes pain every day: children die, receive serious injuries, lose their home and their usual world. Each such story is not just statistics, but human destinies destroyed by war.
Among these stories is the fate of 14-year-old Vika from Kherson. About her told in Kyiv hospital “Okhmatdyt”. On the night of September 3, a powerful explosion rang out in the house where Vika lived. It was another Russian shelling. The mother heard her daughter’s scream, ran into the room and saw a terrible picture: blood, a gutted right arm and the left, which was held only by damaged muscles.
Under fire, Vika was taken to the Kherson hospital. Doctors installed devices for external bone fixation and chest drainage on both arms. Due to her serious condition, the girl was evacuated to “Okhmatdyt” in Kyiv. There, teams of microsurgeons, orthopedists, traumatologists and thoracic surgeons fought for her life. The girl had a severe combined injury: both upper limbs were damaged and a penetrating chest injury. Thoracic surgeons tended to the drain, a system that removed air from the pleural cavity to restore respiratory function. At the same time, all the flexors of the fingers and hands were damaged on the right hand – the muscles and tendons responsible for mobility. Surgeons performed a series of operations, repairing every muscle and nerve.
However, the most serious problem concerned the girl’s left hand. It was necessary to choose whether to keep the limb or to amputate it. All arteries, vessels and nerves were destroyed. Doppler showed that there is no chance to save the limb. Doctors were forced to make a difficult but necessary decision – amputation.
“It was one of the most difficult decisions to take away a child’s arm. We looked for at least one whole artery, but in vain. We looked for at least one whole artery, but in vain – all the arteries, vessels and nerves were destroyed. The arm was held only by muscles. Doppler imaging confirmed: there is no chance of saving the limb.”, — said microsurgeon Oleksandr Yavorskyi.
Vika underwent numerous surgeries, complex procedures and months of physical therapy. A lot of work was done with a psychologist, because Vika had to accept a new reality.
“Vika has grown up. She already realizes that she does not have an arm, that she needs to adapt to a different life. A lot of work was done with the psychologist Tatyana. She helped us a lot.” – shares the girl’s mother.
During treatment, Vika painstakingly developed her right hand. At first she couldn’t even hold a spoon, but now she confidently uses the phone.
Photo: Facebook of NDSL Okhmatdyt
“Her whole life will depend on this hand – study, work, everyday life. It is important that she recovers as much as possible.” – emphasizes physical therapist Valery Panchenko.
Ahead is a long rehabilitation and preparation for prosthetics. But Vika does not give up. She dreams of returning to her favorite activities: doing manicures, weaving bracelets from beads, drawing bright pictures. Her greatest desire is to return to her native Kherson, see her native home, hug her friends and feel the warmth of her hometown again.
We all wish Vika an easy rehabilitation and the realization of her dreams. Sincere gratitude to the doctors of “Okhmatdyt” for their daily struggle for the lives of children, for a chance for a future that will surely be happy.
