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Hello!
Our family is asking for a big favor: please help us with raising funds for bone marrow donor search at the international registry for our daughter Sasha Vyunikova.
The donor search costs 15,000 euros and delivery of transplant from European collection center to St. Petersburg costs additional 2,500 euros. Sasha is 13 and she has been sick with acute myeloblastic leukemia since November 2006. She completed full course of chemotherapy and radiation and she was in remission and on supporting chemotherapy since June 15, 2007.
The examination in February 2008 discovered a relapse. Sasha was recommended bone marrow transplantation. Unfortunately, a marching donor was not found among the family members. For that reason, the specialists of Raisa Gorbacheva Institute of Pediatric Hematology and Transplantology in St. Petersburg made a decision to initiate the search for unrelated donor.
Alexandra is in a very positive state of mind. She tries to follow all the recommendations of her doctor.
Since the age of 4, Sasha took choreography classes and she dreams of traveling the world with her dance group. She also likes to draw and make crafts, and to give her artworks to her friends and relatives. She is a very warm and social girl.
Please help our daughter! Our family cannot cope on our own, even though my husband and I both work. We have two more children (15-year old daughter who is in 10th grade and 18-year old son who studies in a community college) and have to rent an apartment.
We are hoping for your help and support!

Anatoly and Svetlana Vyunikov
Home address:
238755 Kaliningradskaya oblast,
Sovetsk, ul. Kashtanovaya d. 20 kv. 38
Contact phones:
+7 (911) 472-90-63 (Sasha's dad)
+7 (911) 904-16-99 (Sasha's mom)

Epicrisis: page 1, page 2
Medical conclusion
Bill for the donor search in Germany

Update as of April 17, 2008. We transferred 3,000 euros to Stephan Morsch registry for the donor search for Sasha.

Update as of April 24, 2008. We received a confirmation from Vyunikov family that they raised the full amount for the bone marrow donor search and delivery of transplant! The detailed donation report will be published soon on Sasha's page.

Update as of May 6, 2008. Thanks to support of RAYAR company, we were able to pay for the donor search for Sasha in full!

Update as of May 5, 2008. Sasha had a second course of anti-relapse chemotherapy. Unfortunately, she did not respond to the first course. In the next few days she will have a puncture.

Update as of May 25, 2008. Sasha entered remission after the second chemotherapy block. She was found a donor and transplantation is planned for June.

Update as of June 6, 2008. Sasha came to St. Petersburg for bone marrow transplantation. She is now going through planned testing.

Update as of July 9, 2008. It has been a week since transplantation. Sasha is now in cytopenia in a satisfactory condition.

Update as of July 16, 2008. Sasha exited cytopenia. Her leukocyte and thrombocyte counts are growing and she feels much better.

Update as of July 28, 2008. Sasha recovered and was discharged for outpatient monitoring.

Update as of October 4, 2008. The last test results show that Sasha does not have blasts in bone marrow, but the percentage of the donor’s cells decreased. In the near future she will undergo additional testing that will help determine further action. Sasha feels well.

Update as of December 8, 2008. Based on the latest test results, Sasha has 100% donor's bone marrow and no blasts in the puncture, although very high liver indicators. The doctors suggest either toxic hepatitis or liver GVHD. Sasha was prescribed therapy and she feels well.

Update as of January 13, 2009. Sasha needs four injections of MabThera at 500 mg each to treat her GVHD. Each injection costs 40,000 rubles.

Update as of March 20, 2009 Sasha is on outpatient monitoring, and her doses of immunosuppressive drugs are being reduced.

Update as of April 14, 2009 Sasha's condition is stable, she was allowed to go home, to Kaliningrad, in a month she will have to come back for examinations.

Update as of July 1, 2009. Based on planned checkup results, all is well. Sasha will return home to Kaliningrad.

Update as of December 8, 2009. Sasha completed planned tests. Everything is well. The girl returned home already. The next round of tests is scheduled in a month.

Update as of August 4, 2010. Sasha came for planned tests.

Update as of August 25, 2010. Based on test results, two neoplasms were discovered. Their nature is not yet established. A surgery to biopsy the tumors was scheduled. The puncture results are normal and there are no blasts. However, Sasha suffers from severe pain syndrome and she is on painkillers.

Update as of September 7, 2010. Unfortunately, based on test results, Sasha was diagnosed with post-transplant lymphoma, a complication that occurs to 2-3% of patients who undergo transplantation. Sasha is now at the clinic. She receives therapy with MabThera and other medications. After a cycle of chemotherapy, she is planned to receive lymphocyte infusion. The pain syndrome is under control.

Update as of September 29, 2010. Sasha underwent two chemotherapy and MabThera courses. Neurological issues remain, such as the loss of sensitivity of the lower part of the body - the tumor must have compressed a nerve. Biopsy was conducted in order to specify the nature of the tumor, the results are not ready yet.

Update as of October 17, 2010. After several consultations and examinations, a cycle of anti-relapse chemotherapy was selected. The first cycle is over, and Sasha's blood counts are plummeting. She does not have any pain, but the neurologic issues remain.

Update as of October 28, 2010. We would like to thank Irina Vilinskaya and Alexandra for helping us buy Pulmozyme.

Update as of November 3, 2010. Based on CT results, the tumor shrank by more than 70%! Chemotherapy will be continued. The puncture results are not yet ready.

Update as of December 24, 2010. Sasha's condition is stable. She needs to have PET to assess the condition of the remaining tumor. Sasha is getting tazocin for Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Vfend for aspergillosis.

Update as of March 10, 2011. Sasha is continuing the RIST chemotherapy protocol. The blood counts are good but Vfend is still needed. The girl is doing lots of rehabilitation (exercise therapy, massage), the sensitivity in her limbs is gradually recovering, and Sasha is now even doing needlepoint. She is feeling ok.

Update as of March 28, 2011. Unfortunately Sasha had serious problems after another infusion of Campto. The RIST protocol had to be interrupted. At present Sasha is being examined, the doctors are deciding on a new treatment protocol for her.

Update as of May 20, 2011. Sasha is now at rehabilitation center in Lakhta. She likes it a lot. Sasha feels rather well and goes for long walks. She was prescribed therapy for neurologic complications.

Update as of June 25, 2011. Sasha is now successfully going through a neurological rehabilitation course, there have been some positive developments. Once the course is over Sasha is going to have an examination regarding her basic disease.

Update as of July 23, 2011. Sasha completed a course of neurologic rehabilitation, with improvement. She had a remote consultation with prof. Axel Zander and it was decided to start maintenance therapy with Purinethol. In fall she will have planned control tests. She returned home to Kaliningrad region.

Update as of October 31, 2011. Sasha came in for control tests. She was found a tumor in her chest that has to be operated. Prior to surgery, Sasha was allowed to go home for two weeks.

Update as of November 12, 2011. Sasha was successfully operated at Mechnikov Academy. The lesions were removed and biopsy is being worked on. Sasha is already at rehabilitation center in Olgino and feels well.

Update as of November 15, 2011. Based on histology study of the lesions that were removed, they represent fibrosis and clusters of myeloid cells. The lesions were taken out completely. Bone marrow is clear of cancer cells, and there are no other lesions. Sasha feels well. No active therapy is currently planned. Sasha will undergo rehabilitation after the surgery.

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