Ukrainian woman attacked by shark in New York undergoes 5 surgeries and remains disabled

The family of a woman who was attacked by a shark on a New York beach in early August underwent five surgeries in eight days and was permanently disabled, according to Fox News.

Tatyana Koltunyuk, 65, lost about 9kg of flesh from her upper left thigh when she was attacked by a shark on New York’s Rockaway Beach on August 7, officials said. Lifeguards on the beach quickly took action to save the woman, using a buoy rope as a makeshift tourniquet to slow blood loss.

The woman was initially taken to Jamaica Hospital in a critical condition, but was later upgraded to a serious/non-life-threatening condition.

On charity website GoFundme, the Koltunyuk family said the 65-year-old had five surgeries in eight days and would need more. So far, the family has raised nearly $74,000 in donations for surgeries and subsequent rehabilitation. Daria wrote that her mother would be in the hospital for “at least” a few weeks.

“In the first 8 days after the attack, she underwent 5 operations and she will need more. The doctors told us that her recovery would require several years of intensive physical therapy and careful medical supervision, during which she would be significantly restricted in her movement,” Daria Koltunyuk, Tatyana’s daughter, said in a GoFundMe appeal. “Although the full consequences of the injury are not yet known, it has led to permanent disability.”

On the subject: How to act when meeting a shark and why they should not be afraid: advice from a diver

“During the nightmarish days since the trauma, it has become clear that the costs of her care and adjustment to life after the trauma will be significant and will most likely include ongoing services and counseling, mobility aids, intensive physical and psychological therapy, creation affordable and comfortable home environment, transportation to and from the appointment,” said Daria Koltunyuk.

Hard way

Tatiana’s daughter Koltunyuk wrote that her mother is “looking forward to retirement” and often discusses the possibility of swimming in the ocean, but says the journey ahead will be “extremely difficult”. Daria Koltunyuk also revealed that her mother immigrated to the US from Ukraine when she was 3 and worked hard to ensure success.

“The language barrier prevented my mother from pursuing a career as a marine engineer, but she worked tirelessly to support our family. She made sure that I could take ballet and piano lessons and get the best possible education; took me to art museums, to concerts and theatrical performances; we walked in all the gardens and parks of the city that we could find. She led a grueling lifestyle so that I could develop, ”says Daria.