The elderly woman who suffered an attack from a shark on a New York City beach in early August endured five surgeries in only eight days and now faces the possibility of lifelong damage, according to a GoFundMe set up by her relatives.
According to authorities, Tatyana Koltunyuk, 65, lost over 20 pounds of flesh from her upper left thigh after being bitten by a shark on Rockaway Beach in New York City on August 7.
In order to stop any further blood loss, the lifeguards at the beach acted immediately to save the woman while using buoy rope as a makeshift tourniquet.
Her status was first listed as critical when she was transferred to Jamaica Hospital, but it was later changed to serious/not life threatening.
According to a GoFundMe page set up by Koltunyuk’s family, the 65-year-old has undergone five surgeries in the past eight days and will require more.
Read Also: Are Blue Light-Blocking Glasses Effective in Enhancing Sleep and Reducing Eye Strain?
GoFundMe Launched to Help Medical Expenses and Rehabilitation After Subway Attack
In the first eight days following the attack, she underwent five surgeries, and she still needs more. Tatyana Koltunyuk’s daughter Darya wrote in the GoFundMe saying that her medical staff has informed that rehabilitation will require several years of intense physical therapy and strict medical monitoring, during which time she will have considerably reduced mobility. Her injury has left her permanently disabled, even if its full effects are not yet known.
Apparently, the family member’s mother will be in the hospital for at least a few weeks.
Darya Koltunyuk stated that it has become evident in the terrifying days following her trauma that the costs for her care and post-trauma adjusted living will be significant.
These costs are likely to include ongoing services and consultations, mobility assistance device(s), intensive physical and psychological therapy, making her home environment readily available and cozy, and transportation to and from appointments.
The path ahead will be extremely challenging, Koltunyuk’s daughter noted, but her mother was eagerly waiting for her retirement and frequently talked about swimming in the sea.
According to Darya Koltunyuk, her mother emigrated to the United States from Ukraine when she was just 3 years old and put a lot of effort into guaranteeing she was successful.
Read Also: Egg Freezing on the Rise Among Women Who Want to Delay Motherhood
Source: Fox News
