The Ukrainian Stock Breeders Association took part in the charity project "Chestnut Run"

Charity event "Chestnut Run" is the first and largest annual sports charity project in Ukraine, which takes place for the 26th time, this year was held on June 3.

The purpose of the event is to raise funds for the treatment of children with heart defects. Funds collected under the project are directed to purchase the necessary equipment and supplies for the Center for Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.

This year the event was attended by 10,000 people, including representatives of the Ukrainian Stock Breeders Association. Participants of the race overcame a distance of 4.9 km in the center of Kyiv.

"It is very important that due to this event the attention of the society is attracted to children with a sick heart," the head of the Ukrainian Stock Breeders Association Iryna Palamar said. - We all know that our state medicine is in a devastating condition. It has old equipment and insufficient state funding for surgical operations. Moreover, the parents of such children, unfortunately, like most Ukrainians, cannot afford expensive medical treatment because of a low standard of living. Meanwhile, according to statistics, 5000 children with heart defects are born in Ukraine every year, and most of them require surgical treatment, otherwise the child will simply die. And if the state cannot ensure the health of its children, then we ourselves, the Ukrainians, should do it".

For reference:

• Charity event "Chestnut Run" buys necessary equipment for the Scientific and Practical Medical Center for Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine. In total, over the years of the Center's cooperation, equipment worth almost half a million dollars has been purchased.

• 1500000 UAH were donated last year.

• Due to the participants of the Run in 2010, the Center has the first in Ukraine device "Artificial Heart", in 2013 - the third in Ukraine counterpulsation device CS300 - the device that maintains the blood pressure of small patients during the operation, as well as other necessary equipment.

• Despite the fact that only up to 70% of infants in Ukraine who need urgent operative cardiac care receive it at the Center, the number of lives saved grows from year to year. And the percentage of deaths during the operation decreased 16 times over the period from 2000 to 2017!