Julia Skip is a Ukrainian lady from the Lviv region who had been suffering from a severe heart disease called cardiomyopathy. She underwent several operations in Munich, Lviv, and Kyiv before Russia launched its large-scale invasion of Ukraine. 

As a result of the war, the 36-year-old escaped to Poland, where she was quickly transferred to the National Institute of Cardiology. Given the urgency of the situation, it was decided that the patient needed a new heart immediately in order to survive. 

Mrs Skip’s luck was twofold. First, she managed to get out of war-torn Ukraine to Poland and be taken care of by competent cardiac surgeons and cardiologists. 

What’s more, Poland updated its legislation so that Ukrainians fleeing the war can benefit from the same rights when it comes to complicated and expensive operations – like heart transplantations – as do Polish citizens. 

The surgery was performed successfully on the 21st of April. The transplantation procedure was performed smoothly by a team led by Dr Krzysztof Kuśmierski, head of the Department of Cardiac Surgery and Transplantology. 

Today Julia Skip feels good. There have been no complications following the operation.

Image: Instagram (the.warsaw2)

Author: Sébastien Meuwissen