A remarkable incident occurred in Lviv where a husband became a liver donor for his wife. This is a rare event in medicine, as only a small fraction of relatives are eligible to be donors in such cases.

The story of this woman's rescue was shared by the First Medical Association of Lviv.

43-year-old Vera Stuzhuk from Ivano-Frankivsk had been experiencing health issues throughout her adult life. She suffered from gynecological problems, frequently caught colds, and constantly felt weakness and stomach pain.

For years, doctors could not determine the cause of her ailments, so they just treated her symptoms. Last year, Vera's condition worsened – she developed severe itching and her skin turned yellow.

"I was literally tearing my skin off. It felt like my body was on fire," recalls the patient.

She underwent further examinations. At the St. Panteleimon Hospital in Lviv, they finally diagnosed her with a congenital autoimmune disease that was gradually destroying her liver.

"Vera's immune system mistakenly attacks its own cells, considering them foreign. Eventually, this led to liver cirrhosis, and only an organ transplant could save her," say the doctors.

Vera was placed on the waiting list for a deceased donor, and her husband Sergey was tested for compatibility. The chances were very slim: only about 25% of relatives qualify for living liver donation due to complex anatomical and immunological requirements.

But this time, a miracle happened – Sergey, who has the same blood type as his wife, met all the criteria.

"I made the decision to become a donor in a split second. She is my wife. I couldn't do otherwise," says Sergey.

The specialists at the Transplantation Center performed a complex operation: they divided Sergey's liver and transplanted a portion to Vera. Both successfully underwent the procedure and are now recovering together.

Previously, in Kyiv's "Okhmatdyt", the first ABO-incompatible liver transplant was performed on a child in Ukraine – a transplant where the donor's blood type does not match the recipient's.