Oleh Babiy had been sick for years when he finally received the news he had been waiting for: a new heart was available for transplant.
The donor was a former Ukrainian soldier, Aslan Mamedov, whose life was cut short in a car accident.
In October 2024, Babiy underwent transplant surgery and started on the road to recovery.
Months later, he is now able to walk and breathe easily again, and Babiy had the opportunity to share his gratitude for his new lease on life.
Mamedov's widow, Kateryna Mamedova, met Babiy in Kyiv and listened to her husband's heart beating in Babiy's chest.
"It beats very well," Babiy told Mamedova. "The heart of your dear one beats inside me. I'm very grateful for what you've done for me. You've given me a second life."
Mamedova was grateful too that her husband could help others by choosing to be an organ donor and that she could hear his heartbeat once again.
"I've held onto the memories of his heartbeat," she told Babiy during their tearful meeting. "I'm very glad we met today. This inspires me to live on. I go to sleep and wake up with the thought that his heart is still beating."
Babiy's cardiologist, Natalia Ponych, said his prognosis was good in the months after the surgery. "The patient felt great during the examination. The heart chambers are not dilated. The valves are working as they should," she said.
He was not the only patient to be helped by Mamedov. His liver and kidneys went to three other recipients, all of whom were reported to be doing well.
