As Kyiv burned under Russian attack, Dr. Borys Todurov rushed through the city in an ambulance. He was carrying a human heart for a young girl in urgent need.
The child, seriously ill with heart disease, had no time to wait. A donor heart became available across the city. Despite explosions and drones in the sky, Todurov didn’t hesitate.
He and his team drove 10 miles from Okhmatdyt children’s hospital to the Heart Institute on the other side of Kyiv. They did it even after authorities had urged people to take shelter.
That night, Russia launched over 400 drones and 18 missiles at Ukraine. Most were shot down, but two people died and many were injured. Todurov’s brave act gave the girl a chance at life, according to CNN.
A four-year-old girl was declared brain-dead after serious injuries. Her mother, who works in the medical field, agreed to donate her organs.
Her heart was transplanted into a patient by Todurov at the Heart Institute. At the same time, her kidneys went to a 14-year-old boy and her liver to a 16-year-old girl. Both of them were treated at Okhmatdyt.
“May the little donor rest in peace. Our condolences to her family and gratitude for their difficult but important decision,” CNN quoted Okhmatdyt as saying in a statement.
The hospital said two of the three children were in very serious condition. They would not have survived without the transplants.
Doctor performs heart surgery
During deadly Russian attacks on Kyiv, Dr Todurov continued saving lives. While over 700 drones hit the country that night, he performed the heart surgery.
Crossing the Dnipro River during the attack was risky, as the area was under fire. Despite a large fire near the road, he calmly said while driving, “We’re carrying a heart”.
He returned to the Heart Institute while the attack was still ongoing. He led a team to transplant the heart into the patient. A video later showed the new heart beating inside the patient’s chest, just hours after it had been transported through the war-hit city.
“The heart is working, and the pressure is stable. We hope that … (the patient) will recover and live a long and full life,” CNN quoted the doctor as saying.