Another Katya's photo

Dear friends, I am the mother of Katya Shikun.
On May 5th Katya turned 9. She's been sick since May 2, 2006. Katya first fell and hurt her knee, and a while after that she was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma of the hip.
On March 15, 2007 she had a surgery in Moscow. The bone was removed and replaced with an endoprosthesis, after which Katya had 10 courses of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Then she developed a bedsore, and we spent another 7 months at a hospital in Voronezh. After a while the endoprosthesis was rejected, and there were lots of fistulas. The doctors started to consider amputating the leg. No hospital wanted to admit us, and it was only the Children's City Hospital 1 of St. Petersburg that agreed to perform an extremely complicated surgery that will save the girl's leg. The surgery itself and the main treatment course will be paid for by the Spasenie Fund.
During the 3 years of Katya's disease I could not work, and our own funds were exhausted. I have another child aged 22 back home in the town of Borisoglebsk (Voronezh region) who is a student of a pedagogical institute and is getting a small maintenance grant. I am living with Katya in her hospital room at Children's City Hospital #1. We have no accommodation or acquaintances in St. Petersburg. We have another three months of treatment to go at Children's City Hospital #1 and Turner Institute.
I have no money. Katya needs quality food during the treatment course: juices, yoghurts and fruits. Lots of drugs are also required for concomitant treatment. We kindly ask you for your help and support.
I fear the upcoming treatment because we have no money to pay for anything. Thank you all in advance!

Tatiana Vitalievna,
Katya's mother
Contact phone:
+7 (964) 372-44-64

Epicrisis #1
Epicrisis #2

Update as of May 21, 2009. On May 13th Katya had an operation, during which part of her prosthesis (femoral head) was removed. She is now in a stable condition and the doctors plan to discharge her soon. We need help with buying air tickets to fly home. We are very grateful to everyone for their help!
Katya's mom

Update as of May 31, 2009. Katya will go home on Thursday. In September she will have a second operation to install a new endoprosthesis. Katya really needs a folding wheelchair and financial help with the living expenses. Her family is very low on money.

Update as of June 3, 2009. On May 25th after the stitches were removed, Katya's leg was put in a cast and now we can go home until September. Then Katya will need to undergo a new operation to install endoprosthesis. We are really hoping that everything will be well with us.
We are enormously grateful to all the supporters and volunteers of AdVita fund and Littleone forum for the help provided to us! Wishing you happiness, health, good luck and prosperity! It is hard to express your gratitude in words. Thank you also for the paints, clay and books. They made Katya's life bright and joyful.
Katya's mom

Update as of June 4, 2009. Katya and her mom went home to Borisoglebsk. In September Katya will have control images taken at her place of residence and forwarded to St. Petersburg, to Katya's treating doctor, to resolve the issue with reconstructive treatment. The second operation to install the endoprosthesis will be possible in six months.

Update as of January 12, 2010. Unfortunately, due to technical reasons, Katya's trip to the clinic was postponed until February 8th. Her mom asked our fund to help with paying for medical insurance, visas and tickets, as well as living expenses in Germany. Although Nadezhda Fund will pay for Katya's treatment, all the other expenses will have to be shouldered by Katya's family - and they are totally out of money.

Update as of April 8, 2010. Currently Katya and her mom are on treatment in Germany. Katya underwent a serious surgery. Unfortunately, as a result, Katya lost one of her legs. She now needs to undergo long-term rehabilitation and they are planned to return home on June 30th.
Katya is very brave! She now needs expensive medications and has to gain some weight. The family needs financial support, because they have been on treatment for two months already and still need to be there for three more months.
Katya will be on a 2-month-long rehabilitation at one of the sanatoriums in Germany. Katya and her mom are saying hi and thank you to everyone!
Olga, volunteer in Germany

Update as of April 19, 2010. Last week Katyusha again spent several days at the clinic due to very high blood pressure. Now everything is normal and Katya and her mom are waiting for the trip to sanatorium at the last week of April.
I understand that the stay in a sanatorium and manufacturing of prosthesis are already paid for. However, Katya and her mom need help with buying food even though they are very careful with their expenses. I talked to the hotel administrator and she said she really likes this family. They are nice to their neighbors and Katya is a very open and kind girl. She is very active in various events that are organized by the social workers. She especially liked Easter preparations. Katya was making bunnies and helped to decorate the dinner hall.
Olga, volunteer in Germany

Update as of May 1, 2010. Katyusha and her mom are now at a sanatorium. Katyusha was made prosthesis and she is learning to walk on it. This is not an easy task, but Katya is an active and diligent girl.
Katya also goes to school there. Even though the lessons are all in German, she understands it pretty well.
Katya has many rehabilitative procedures at the sanatorium. The conditions are very good and Katya and her mom are happy to be there.
Olga, volunteer in Germany

Update as of November 14, 2010. We are enormously grateful to Advita fund for helping us pay for massage for Katya. Prosthesis is not very high quality yet, and as the doctors told us, when I run on my crutches, I put a lot of pressure on my spine, which can deform it. In mid-November we will go to Voronezh for tests, and in December - to the specialized sanatorium near Moscow for a special course of rehabilitation and correct formation of stump on my leg after amputation. It is very important, because we can now extend the remaining part of the leg by 10-12 cm. The government will pay for our stay there, but we need money for travel, food and lodging for my mom: 5,000 - 6,000 rubles.
My mom does not work yet, because I cannot yet take care of myself if I stay home alone, so our only income is my disability pension. My grandmother cannot help us as she can barely make her ends meet herself. We also need 3,000 rubles for massage for November. The clinic graciously provided massage in advance of payment.
Wishing you much happiness and health!
Katya

Update as of December 6, 2010. Thank you very much for your help with paying for travel to sanatorium for me and my mom. We paid off our debts for repairs of prosthesis.
In January we were promised to have it replaced by a new one, and the government will pay for it. I will also need massage in January. And I really hope that in summer I will be able to undergo treatment at Albrecht Institute where they will extend the remaining part of the leg so I can wear a more comfortable and light prosthesis.
I am hoping for your help with buying an exercise bike. I need it for the right posture, and training of muscles, joints and ligaments.
I am enormously grateful to Oleg for his donation and the present he promised for the New Year - karaoke set, my dream! Thank you, everyone!
With gratitude,
Katya and her mom

Update as of December 15, 2010. I really liked The Russian Field sanatorium near Chekhov. There they have many different procedures for recovery of movement and a well-equipped pool. Everything was great and interesting, but my mom was complaining more frequently of feeling unwell.
She had ultrasound of kidneys, which showed a tumor in her adrenal gland. For now it is not clear what is it: either cancer, or a hormonal disease. My mom is very fatigued, and the doctors are not letting her even walk with me to the pool or come along for the procedures.
We are enormously grateful to all our supporters for their help!
We have finally paid for all the tests for hormones. But now we have another financial problem: for my mom to get a definite diagnosis, she need to have CT of adrenal gland, which costs 5,000 rubles.
We are hopeful for your help. I am really worried about my mom.
Katya

Update as of March 17, 2011. Katya's treatment at Albrecht Prosthetics Institute is under discussion. We are enormously grateful for help with paying for massage which will be needed for several more months.
Katya's mom

Update as of March 31, 2011. Katya grew by 4 cm, but her leg prosthesis is not getting longer. To avoid development of scoliosis, she needs to continue massage, which costs 3,000 rubles a month. The doctors are also recommending biking excercises to develop muscles. A new prosthesis is planned to be installed in 2012.
Katya's mom is now waiting for hospitalization at a clinic in Voronezh to remove a thyroid tumor, so the family's financial situation is very difficult. Thank you for your help!

Update as of September 9, 2011. Katya's prosthesis broke. Since it was 12 cm shorter than Katya's healthy leg, it was bound to happen sooner or later. Katya no longer has the opportunity to move around her room in a dilapidated rural house with unstable floors where she lives with her sick mom and an alcoholic father who periodically kicks them out of the house. The administration of the town including a district representative are not helping Katya despite numerous appeals. Katya and her mom are asking their supporters for help with raising money for the prosthesis. It is estimated to cost close to 200,000 rubles.

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