February 15, 2002

According to Masha Grigorieva, she first knew that something was wrong with her daughter in 1994, when Katya was just 7 years old. The little girl complained of dizziness, sharp pain and tightness in her chest. Grigorieva took her daughter to doctors in their hometown of Simbirsk, which is a city more than 600 miles northeast of Moscow. When local doctors couldn't determine what was wrong with Katya, Grigorieva sought help from physicians in Moscow. They finally diagnosed Katya a year after her first complaint of pain: she had an atrial septal defect, which is a hole in the heart wall that separates the left and right atrium, allowing deoxygenated blood from the body to mix with oxygenated blood from the lungs. If not repaired, the defect eventually can cause heart failure, heart rhythm problems or high blood pressure in the lungs.

Unable to get appropriate treatment, Katya spent the next seven years in and out of hospitals, her condition deteriorating. Weakness, fatigue, shortness of breath and dizziness plagued Katya, keeping her from engaging in activities that other kids her age could enjoy.

Finally, last year, several doctors from the United States who were visiting a hospital in Moscow examined Katya and recommended a non-invasive procedure that could vastly improve her condition. The visiting physicians knew of one place that Katya was sure to get this kind of treatment — at the MGH.

Through support from local charities and the Gift of Life program, Katya and her mother were able to come to Boston for a life-changing procedure. The Gift of Life is an international program sponsored by the Rotary Club, which provides treatment for needy children and adults suffering from life-threatening conditions.

The Grigorievas started their long journey Feb. 7 traveling 15 hours by train to Moscow, then took a 10-hour flight to New York, where they stayed with a local Russian family for two days before boarding a shuttle bound for Boston.

On Feb. 10, Grigorieva and her daughter arrived at the MGH, nervous but excited about what awaited them. Many MGHers came together to make mother and daughter's stay as comfortable as possible. Michael de Moor, MD, chief of MGH Pediatric Cardiology, was Katya's primary physician, and Wendy Jennings, RN, helped coordinate her stay with the Gift of Life program. Irene Lerman of the MGH Endocrine Unit, and a native of St. Petersburg, Russia herself, volunteered to serve as interpreter for the Grigorievas, who don't speak any English.

De Moor explains that the cardiac catheterization procedure required no incision — just a needlestick — and caused no pain. A catheter through the femoral vein in Katya's leg was guided up to the heart to implant a device that would permanently block the hole in the septum wall. The "Amplatzer" device, which was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in November, was donated by AGA Medical Corp. for Katya's treatment. According to de Moor, who performed 60 of the procedures while the implant was in the clinical trial stage, the hour-long procedure was successful.

"Fortunately, Katya didn't have to endure a heart operation, which would require four hours of surgery and a longer recovery," he says. "She will be able to go home next week and live a normal life as an active teenager." No one is more pleased with the results than Grigorieva. When asked through her interpreter about Katya's stay at the MGH, she said with a broad grin: "There are no words to describe my feelings. She finally will be healthy and able to do what other children can do."

Katya was discharged from the MGH Feb. 14 — a significant occasion not only because of Valentine's Day, but also because it is Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Day. Fortunately for Katya, she no longer has to worry about the health of her heart.