Victoria Abazova Requires Lifesaving Medicine

Victoria Abazova, a 32-year-old resident of St. Petersburg, suffers from rare pulmonary hypertension. She requires an expensive drug, but the subsidized provision has been interrupted, and therapy cannot be stopped.

Mar 3, 2026

A family archive photo shows Victoria Abazova, who depends on medication for pulmonary hypertension.
Source:
family archive

Victoria Abazova has been diagnosed with severe pulmonary hypertension — a rare disease resulting from a severe congenital heart defect.

The list of diagnoses includes:

ventricular septal defect;
acute cardiopulmonary failure;
pulmonary arterial hypertension.

To sustain life, constant medication is necessary. The cost of the therapy course is 233,000 rubles (approximately $2,600 at current rates).

Victoria was born in Krasnodar but moved to St. Petersburg, having fallen in love with the city during a tour. However, the main reason for changing residence was the fight against the disease.

In her early years, doctors did not give optimistic prognoses, believing that with such a heart defect she would not live to 18. Her first operation was performed at the age of 10, after which several more surgical interventions followed.

Over the years, her condition progressively worsened. Constant shortness of breath, edema, and loss of consciousness appeared. Even minimal physical activity — climbing one floor or a short walk — became an impossible task.

Examinations showed that the pressure in Victoria«s pulmonary artery reaches 160 mmHg with a norm of 22–25. This led to the development of acute cardiopulmonary failure and an almost doubling of the heart size, creating a maximum risk of sudden death.

St. Petersburg cardiologists from FGBU «National Medical Research Center named after V. A. Almazov» (NMITS) selected an effective drug that allowed to reduce the pressure. Thanks to the therapy, Victoria«s condition stabilized, and she was able to return to normal life.

The medicine was provided on a subsidy for a long time, but in the autumn of 2025 the issuance ceased. Then help was provided by the charity fund «Natasha» and compassionate people. After that, the provision was temporarily restored.

Currently, the subsidized provision of the drug has been suspended again. Victoria is seeking its renewal, but the timelines are unknown. Interrupting therapy is categorically not allowed — it could provoke a rapid increase in pressure and create a direct threat to life.

The girl cannot independently purchase the expensive medicine. She has again turned for help to the fund «Natasha», which has opened a fundraiser to support her.