Inside Bulgaria's Easter Celebrations: Traditions Passed Through Generations
Today marks the joyous celebration of Easter, one of the most significant holidays in the Orthodox Christian calendar.
A thirteen-year-old Bulgarian comatose patient, who was saved after authorities and doctors in Bulgaria and Greece pooled their efforts for a liver transplant, took the first step toward his new life on Thursday.
"The operation is unique in that it brings together the efforts of two countries – Bulgaria and Greece. Fortunately our attempt to save the child's life proved successful," Dr. Lyubomir Spasov, head of the Lozenets University Hospital, told reporters as his team prepared to release the young and brave survivor Tanyo.
The Sofia-based hospital is one of the few in Eastern Europe, which carry out liver transplants from live donors.
"I want to thank the doctors in the Greek hospital in Athens, who were the first to take care of Tanyo and did not hesitate to take the risk to transport him to Bulgaria for the liver transplant," he added.
The boy's recovery is amazing having in mind that exactly a month ago, on December 26, while in Athens, he fell into coma, the final stage of the Wilson disease, a genetic disorder that prevents the body from getting rid of extra copper.
The only chance for life was a liver transplantation. After the Greek doctors rushed to give the boy first aid, he was urgently flown to Sofia with the assistance of Bulgaria's embassy in Athens and the government.
A team from Sofia-based University Hospital for Active Treatment Lozenets committed to the risky operation, a daunting task for any surgeon. The moral burden on the doctors' backs got heavier after the father agreed to become a donor so that his son may live.
The chance for Tanyo to survive was less than 10%, but the Bulgarian medics decided to take the risk.
A month after the lifesaving liver transplant, Tanyo, with a wide and welcoming smile on his face, stood before reporters at a press conference, accompanied by no other than Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boyko Borisov himself.
Borisov, who issued the order for transporting the boy to Bulgaria, was the first to receive his special and sincere gratitude.
"I want to thank Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, the doctors and nurses, who gave me a second chance at life," Tanyo said on Thursday at the special event, that marked his release from hospital.
"There is no greater award for a doctor's team than to see one little child, now that he has a second chance at life, happy again," Bulgaria's Health Minister Stefan Konstantinov, who also attended the event, wrapped it up.
The hope is that Tanyo's success story will set the beginning of a fruitful cooperation between Bulgaria and Greece in the transplantation field. An agreement on that has already been reached by the two countries' health ministers.
"Bulgaria and Greece are neighboring countries and I want to see that not only in geographical or geopolitical terms, but also as an opportunity for cooperation and mutual help," the Greek Ambassador to Bulgaria, Thrasivoulos Stamatopoulos, said at the event.
Tanyo, whose biggest dream is to become a football player, will be soon leaving for Greece.
But Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, well known for his love of football, has promised him a new and much more pleasant challenge there – a clash on the football pitch.
We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!
Caretaker Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev ordered the cancellation of the Council of Ministers' decision to establish the private Mom and Me Multiprofile Hospital for Active Treatment in Sofia, the government press service said on Saturday.
Bulgaria is set to establish its emergency air assistance service by the end of May, marking a significant step forward in the country's healthcare infrastructure
New data from the World Health Organization (WHO) underscores concerns over the global surge in antibiotic usage during the Covid-19 pandemic, potentially exacerbating the silent threat of antimicrobial resistance.
The Ministry of Health in Bulgaria has announced a significant initiative to provide free whooping cough vaccines to all pregnant women between 27 to 36 weeks of gestation
A recent UN report on the health behaviors of school-age children has unveiled concerning trends regarding alcohol and cigarette consumption among Bulgarian students, sparking widespread concern
In a recent announcement that's bound to catch attention, Bulgaria's Chief State Health Inspector, Assoc. Angel Kunchev, declared that the country will not be declaring an emergency epidemic situation due to the spread of whooping cough
UN Happiness Report: Bulgaria's Astonishing Leap in Rankings
Bulgaria: 3 Regions With Lowest Life Expectancy - EU Report 2022