Dasha died on September 1, 2010

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Hello!
My name is Anastasia Sergeevna, I am a single mother. I would like to ask you all for help! Trouble came into my life. My daughter is only 2 years old, and she has cancer – abdominal neuroblastoma. There is no one to help me and her treatment requires money: the girl needs expensive drugs, diapers, child food as well as toys that could cheer her up. My daughter's father left the family for another woman and does not help us. My parents are no help either (I am from a problem family).
When Dasha started to go to a kindergarten I was going to find a job, but life took a different turn. At 5 p.m. on July 26 her temperature went up to 39.7°C, she had nausea and diarrhea. At first I thought it was food poisoning. I called the ambulance in the evening, and the doctor was also of the opinion it was food poisoning and said that if the previously subdued fever returned by 10 p.m. we would have to go to hospital. At 11 p.m. the fever was 40°C and we were taken to hospital. At 4 a.m. on July 27 Dasha got breathing problems and was transferred to the intensive care unit. The surgeon on duty came and said that judging by Dasha's weird abdominal swelling he had reason to suspect acute appendicitis. At 6 a.m. we were taken to the Infectious Diseases Hospital 5 in the town of Kupchino. The doctors could not figure out what was happening to the child. He had an ultrasound and X-rays as well as blood counts done. Every hour her hemoglobin count would go down and she had to get blood transfusions.
I was told that according to the X-rays it might be a tumor, but that was not a fact. By noon the tumor was already twice bigger. It also compressed Dasha's abdomen organs, heart and left lung. She went into a coma. The doctors said they connected her to an artificial respirator to extend her life by a couple of hours. They did not give us any hope. Dasha spent 5 days in a coma and 2.5 weeks in intensive care. While she was there the doctors arrived at a diagnosis, and that was neuroblastoma.
When Dasha's condition became more or less stable we were transferred to an oncology unit and Dasha was administered urgent chemotherapy because otherwise my girl would only have another month left to live. The disease was progressing too quickly, the tumor grew into her kidney and the right lobe of her liver (there was a locus in her liver too), there appeared lumps on her skull. My daughter was in bed all the time since she could no longer sit up or hold her head up.
At present Dasha can sit and hold her head up, she plays with her toys but cannot walk. We are in hospital all the time. I've taken her to numerous doctors and had numerous examinations done but no one can tell us why she cannot walk. We have to go through further examinations and buy more antibiotics. I have no more money for that.
I hope that there are people out there who will not leave me alone in trouble and help us with money for examinations, toys, diapers and food. After a cerebral cortex examination the doctors said there were no serious loci there but my daughter needed to be taught everything from scratch.
Dear friends, I really hope for your help since I have no one else to ask for it.

Anastasia, Dasha's mother

Medical report

Update as of October 21, 2009. Dasha already finished three courses of chemotherapy out of six courses planned. The tumor had gotten smaller.
On October 27th Dasha needs to go for MRI scan that costs 4,000 rubles. Please help Dasha! Dasha's mom will also be very grateful is one of the volunteers who own a car could help her with transporting Dasha from home to the hospital.

Update as of October 26, 2009. Dasha was taken to Priozersky hospital with acute tonsillitis and high temperature (39.4C). She was prescribed a course of antibiotics. The testing was postponed.

Update as of November 12, 2009. Yesterday Dasha was discharged from Priozersky hospital, and today she was already admitted to Oncology Research Institute for the 4th round of chemotherapy.
Based on doctors' decision, MRI was postponed until the surgery. The doctors decided that the test with general anesthesia is not necessary right now. Today Dasha had ultrasound and an x-ray, and the results are satisfactory. Tomorrow she is supposed to start chemotherapy. The current quota will cover this round, but in 3 weeks Dasha's mom will need get a new (the 3rd) quota for treatment.
Dasha's mom is sincerely grateful to all their supporters!

Update as of December 13, 2009. Currently, Dasha has low leukocytes. If blood counts recover, tomorrow she will start 5th round of chemotherapy. If not, then she will probably have MRI and CT scans first.
After the 6th round, she is planned to have the first surgery to remove tumor. In total, two operations are planned.

Update as of December 24, 2009. Dasha is done with the main chemotherapy course and is now going to have a surgery. Dasha was allowed to go home for the new year holidays but unfortunately she found herself in Children's City Hospital 1 with a high fever.

Update as of January 10, 2010. Dasha was admitted to acute leukemia chemotherapy unit with temperature and low leukocyte count that continued to drop. She then developed severe stomatitis. The girl suffered from pain in her mouth and could not even swallow water.
She was on IV continuously and was transferred to intensive care unit. When her platelet count plummeted, her mouth started bleeding and the doctors were very concerned about potential blood loss.
We are enormously grateful to the doctors who managed to find blood for transfusions during the holidays! Dasha was receiving platelets and r-mass as often as necessary during the whole holiday season.
Now Dasha's blood counts are higher and she is starting to eat gradually. The doctors recommended feeding her two teaspoons of mashed food 12 times a day. She can already sit in her bed and play with a doll she got from Father Frost.
Dasha's mom is in a very difficult financial situation. She has no money, as she has not been able to work since Dasha got sick. We are sincerely grateful to volunteers of web forum St. Petersburg's Parents, Littleone, for helping Dasha with food, nutrition, clothes and diapers.
Tatyana, volunteer of web forum of St. Petersburg's parents (Littleone).

Update as of January 22, 2010. Today Dasha was finally discharged from Children's hospital No.1. Tomorrow her mother will call Oncology Research Institute to discuss hospitalization.

Update as of February 4, 2010. On Monday Dasha was hospitalized at Oncology Research Institute in Pesochny. Further treatment will be decided upon after control tests – CT scan and a puncture, which are scheduled for Tuesday. Dasha does not feel very well and suffers from nausea.

Update as of February 9, 2010. Dasha was transferred to surgical unit of Children's Regional hospital. She was diagnosed with a crack in esophagus wall and prescribed treatment. She is receiving nutrition through a feeding tube.

Update as of February 14, 2010. For almost a week, Dasha and her mom have been staying at the Regional Children's hospital. Dasha is being treated for erosive gastritis and she receives antibiotics. We are enormously grateful to Advita fund supporters, thanks to whose help Dasha could stay in a private room with a microwave and a bathroom. Her mom Nastia can now cook, which is very convenient, because the unit has no microwave or refrigerator, only hot water in the hallway.

Update as of February 19, 2010. After a course of antibiotics, Dasha had a test, fibro-gastroduodenoscopy, which showed that Dasha's esophagus is much narrower that normal (a quarter of normal size). It means Dasha can only eat liquid and soft food. She still has erosion, but the doctors are saying that the healing usually takes a long time after kids like Dasha undergo chemotherapy. The decision about further treatment for narrowed esophagus will be made after the x-ray scheduled for February 24.

Update as of February 24, 2010. Dasha underwent an x-ray with contrast agent. It was difficult to get Dasha to eat that white substance, but in general it went well, and Dasha did not need anesthesia. Based on the results, the narrow area looks like an opening in an hourglass, and is 2 cm long. The doctors plan to widen it mechanically by installing a tube.

Update as of March 2, 2010. Dasha had an operation, during which a tube was placed in her esophagus at the narrow spot. The surgery was very quick and Dasha came out of anesthesia well. Today is the second day after the operation and Dasha can already eat everything. She cannot feel a tube inside and feels well. After a week, she will undergo control fibro-gastroduodenoscopy.
Dasha's mom would like to thank "Dari Dobro" fund and all Dasha supporters!

Update as of March 23, 2010. Dasha completed tests. Fibrogastroduodenoscopy had shown positive dynamic, which along with the results of CT scan gave doctors the grounds to allow Dasha stay as an outpatient at the rented apartment.
The first month of rent and services of the apartment rental services were paid for by Advita Fund supporters and during Dasha's treatment period she will need to pay 13,000 rubles a month (including utilities).
We are asking for help for Dasha's mom with apartment rent. The apartment is good and comes furnished. Dasha and her mom already spent the night there. They are very grateful to St. Petersburg's Parents web forum for help with moving in. It will be rented for at least a year, as Dasha is scheduled for several chemotherapy courses and bone marrow transplantation.
Dasha is feeling well. She is eating everything, including meat and fruits.

Update as of May 24, 2010. Dasha finished the 6th cycle of chemotherapy. We are now at home, applying for treatment quota. Next week we plan to be hospitalized for surgery to remove the tumor. After surgery, if everything goes according to the plan, bone marrow transplant will take place. Dasha feels well after chemotherapy. We are very grateful to everyone who is helping us.
Dasha's mom

Update as of July 29, 2010. Dasha is at R. Gorbacheva Pediatric Hematology and Transplantology Institute. She started high-dose pre-transplantation chemotherapy. For now, she feels well, but the doctors are watching her carefully, as during previous chemotherapy cycles Dasha had serious complications.
Dasha and her mom still need financial help: to rent an apartment, for additional medications, and for living expenses.

Update as of August 18, 2010. Dasha underwent an autotransplantation. Due to a weak immunity system the girl now has bacterial sepsis. She is in intensive care in a grave condition, on artificial lung ventilation. We need help to be able to hire a nurse.

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