Organs of 19-year-old killed in Kirovohrad region saved four patients' lives

Posthumous donation saved four lives

Organ retrieval was carried out at Kirovohrad Regional Hospital from 19-year-old Artem, who died as a result of a road traffic accident. The deceased's relatives gave consent to donation, which allowed his heart, liver, and both kidneys to be transplanted to four patients. The transplants were performed at the Heart Institute and Okhmatdyt hospital.

Information about this event was provided on 30 October by Mykola Dumen, the medical director for surgical and emergency care at the regional hospital.

Chronology of events and medical details

As explained by Yaroslav Chornyi, the transplant coordinator at the regional hospital, the 19-year-old resident of Verblyuzhka village died on 10 October after medical professionals confirmed brain death. The organ retrieval took place on 12 October.

«На момент постановки смерті мозку ми інформуємо родичів про консиліум та його результати. Після підтвердження лікар проводить розмову щодо можливості донації органів. Для кожної родини це велика трагедія, але є шанс врятувати життя іншим людям. Приїхала бригада з Інституту серця та Охматдиту. Рідні дали згоду на серце, печінку й обидві нирки», — розповів Ярослав Чорний. (At the time of brain death confirmation, we inform relatives about the consultation and its results. After confirmation, the doctor has a conversation about the possibility of organ donation. For every family, this is a great tragedy, but there is a chance to save other people's lives. A team from the Heart Institute and Okhmatdyt arrived. Relatives gave consent for the heart, liver, and both kidneys, Yaroslav Chornyi said.)

Who received the organs

According to Mykola Dumen, the deceased young man's kidneys were received by two women from Kyiv. The heart was transplanted to a resident of Rivne region, and the liver to a 17-year-old girl from Poltava region.

The successful transplantation was reported on 28 October on the official Facebook page of the Ukrainian Transplant Coordination Centre.

Circumstances of the accident and family reaction

The road traffic accident in which Artem and his 17-year-old girlfriend Katia died occurred on 9 October. The deceased young man's mother, Marianna Romanenko, said that they were hit by a car.

In her words, it took her time to make the decision to consent to donation.

«Я спочатку не думала, не хотіла. А потім вирішила, що якщо воно так, то вирішила, щоб далі билося серце в якійсь іншій людині. Іншим людям допомогти, якщо не вийшло врятувати свого. У мене п’ятеро дітей, він майже найменший», — розповіла Маріанна Романенко. (At first, I didn't think about it, I didn't want to. Then I decided that if it had to be this way, I decided that his heart should keep beating in some other person. To help other people, if we couldn't save our own. I have five children, he was almost the youngest, Marianna Romanenko said.)

She also noted that she wants to meet and get to know the people who received her son's organs.

Investigation of the road traffic accident

Yana Shass, the spokesperson for the regional prosecutor's office, reported that the driver left the roadway and hit two pedestrians who were walking along the shoulder in the same direction.

After the accident, the driver continued driving in the damaged vehicle and subsequently hid from the police. During his detention, he was tested for alcohol intoxication.