It was the height of summer when a young mother held her long-awaited daughter for the very first time. After an easy pregnancy, life seemed full of new meaning. At home, lovingly chosen baby clothes and toys awaited them. But beneath her newborn daughter Anastasiia’s tiny nose, the mother noticed a faint bluish mark. The doctor’s words were crushing — it could be a sign of a congenital heart defect. In that hectic July 2010, time stood still for the young family.

Barely discharged from the maternity hospital, the parents rushed to Rivne, the regional center, for a proper examination. There, doctors offered a glimmer of hope — the heart condition might resolve itself as Anastasiia grew.

The following years were filled with happiness. The family put their fears aside and celebrated their daughter’s every milestone. Anastasiia grew into a bright, active, and incredibly artistic child. She couldn’t stop drawing and found inspiration in everything around her. Even when doctors eventually diagnosed her with mitral valve insufficiency — meaning blood was flowing backward from the left ventricle to the left atrium due to improper valve closure — Anastasiia remained unstoppable. From the first grade onward, she underwent treatment every six months.

As she matured, so did her dreams. She fell in love with acting and envisioned herself on stage and in films. But her desire to breathe freely and pursue those dreams was interrupted by war. Just before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, doctors scheduled her for a mitral valve repair surgery — essential for her survival. Only specialists in Kyiv could perform the procedure.

Due to relentless shelling, her parents postponed the trip to the capital. Eventually, they made the courageous decision to go. At the Amosov National Institute of Cardiovascular Surgery, Anastasiia underwent a nearly 5-hour operation. The day was long and heavy with fear — but also filled with hope.

At that critical moment, Lancôme stepped in, providing all the necessary medications and surgical supplies — both for the procedure and post-op care — as part of their “Big Little Heart” project for St. Nicholas Day 2023.

Through it all, her mother remained by her side. And when it was all over, she held her daughter close — just like that first day — knowing their lives were beginning again.

Now 14 years old, Anastasiia dreams of a future under the stage lights and is preparing to apply to a performing arts academy. Her heart, repaired and strong, beats in rhythm with her passion — and Ukraine’s cultural future may very well lie in her bright, talented hands.

Anastasiia and her family are deeply grateful to Lancôme for their support during this life-changing journey.