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Illya: A Teen’s Heart Saved by Awareness and a Mother’s Love

Illya Danylenko was born in 2007, and his mother’s pregnancy went smoothly, without complications. The first two years of his life were happy and carefree. But during a routine check-up at age two, doctors noticed a heart murmur. He was later diagnosed with Pseudo Chordae Tendineae — a structural heart anomaly that, thankfully, posed no threat to his life. So Illya continued growing like any other child: going to school, playing with friends, and joining sports clubs.

That all changed when he was 15 years old.

Illya approached his mother and said words no parent ever wants to hear:
“I feel like my heart stops sometimes. Please save me, or I might die.”

Understandably terrified, his mother rushed him to the Amosov National Institute of Cardiovascular Surgery in Kyiv. This time, doctors delivered a life-altering diagnosis: Ebstein’s Anomaly — a rare and often silent congenital heart defect. It often has no symptoms until the condition becomes dangerously advanced.

Illya’s only option was open-heart surgery. Without it, his quality of life would rapidly deteriorate, and the condition could prove fatal. The surgery lasted four hours — a nerve-wracking wait for his mother — but the doctors succeeded. Illya’s life was saved.

His ability to express what he was feeling — and the immediate action of his mother — were crucial.
Because mothers, like guardian angels, are always ready to protect their children.

Now, Illya needs only annual check-ups. Thanks to the skilled surgeons and the support of Lancôme, who provided all the necessary medications and surgical supplies, Illya is able to live his life to the fullest.

Today, Illya and his mother enjoy exhibitions, movie nights, and above all — visits to car museums. His love for automobiles knows no bounds. Once a boy who took apart toy cars, he now knows how to assemble real ones. His biggest dream is to open his own auto repair shop.

Illya and his family are immensely grateful to Lancôme for supporting him through the "Big Little Heart" initiative for St. Nicholas Day 2023.