Igor died on January 31, 2012

Hello.
I am Igor Kechkin's mom and I am asking for help. Igor is 17 years old. In January 2009, lymph nodes in his neck got enlarged. We went for consultation to Children's Hospital No.1. We did not want to think it was something bad, but unfortunately, lymph node biopsy did not leave any doubts. The doctors diagnosed Igor with Hodgkin's lymphoma. He was transferred to Municipal hospital No.31 where he underwent treatment.
In August 2009 he achieved remission and we were allowed to go home. Unfortunately, in July 2010 Igor had an early relapse. From July to December our son underwent four cycles of high-dose chemotherapy. In December 2010 Igor had a consultation at R. Gorbacheva Pediatric Transplantology and Hematology clinic. An urgent allogeneic transplantation was recommended. We need 17,500 euros for donor search at the international registry and delivery of transplant to St. Petersburg. I want to ask all caring people to respond and help us raise money to save our son!

Irina, Igor's mom

Clinical summary #1: page 1, page 2
Clinical summary #2
Bill for the donor search in Germany

Update as of February 28, 2011. Igor completed an anti-relapse chemotherapy and radiation therapy and he is now at home. Igor feels well and he is getting ready for control tests.
CT scan of whole body is scheduled for March 1 at Military Medical Academy. PET imaging is scheduled for March 10 at Oncology Research Institute. Both tests have to be paid for: CT will cost 12,000 rubles, and PET - 18,000 rubles.
We are enormously grateful to St. Petersburg's Parents Club web forum for paying for CT and PET.
After the results are ready, a consultation at hospital No.31 will be scheduled. Also, if the blood tests show that leukocyte count did not increase (it dropped after radiation therapy), then Igor will probably be prescribed Neupogen.
The first 5,000 euros were sent to the registry by the Happy World fund. The donor search was started.

Update as of March 11, 2011. Based on PET and CT scan results, Igor is in complete remission. After radiation therapy, blood counts are slow to recover. Based on test results, a decision will be made regarding injections of drugs to stimulate cell growth. Igor feels well. He is studying for exit tests.

Update as of April 1, 2011. Igor feels well, but his blood counts are still low. Twice a week he goes for tests at the hospital.

Update as of May 10, 2011. A donor for Igor was found. Transplantation was scheduled for mid-end of June. Igor feels well and was allowed to go home and rest until May 16th.

Update as of May 20, 2011. Igor's transplantation was scheduled for June 8th.

Update as of August 10, 2011. Igor's transplantation went on schedule. He successfully recovered and was discharged for outpatient monitoring. Control puncture showed complete engraftment of transplant and complete remission. Igor receives tacrolimus and antiviral therapy. He shows no signs of GVHD.

Update as of August 31, 2011. Igor was hospitalized at R. Gorbacheva Pediatric Hematology & Transplantation Institute after his blood counts started to go down and he started feeling unwell. Based on test results, he has cytomegalovirus infection, but when he started therapy with cymevene, it turned out that he is allergic to it and therapy had to be canceled. While we are waiting for test results for other infections, Igor needs immunoglobulins in large doses.
Igor's mom

Update as of September 26, 2011. Igor receives several antiviral medications as an outpatient. He has signs of skin GVHD. Igor receives hormonal therapy, tacrolimus and cellcept and feels rather well.

Update as of October 30, 2011. Igor is doing rather well. It has been 100 days since transplant. Control puncture showed that donor's bone marrow engrafted fully and works well. Unfortunately, viral infection causes destruction of peripheral leukocyte cells, and Igor needs continuing therapy with Leukostim and immunoglobulins.
Igor's mom

Update as of January 18, 2012. Igor developed acute neurologic symptoms including impaired states of consciousness. MRI revealed a focus in the brain so Igor has urgently been transferred to the Polenov Research Institute for a diagnostic surgery and biopsy.

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