Another Slava's photo

Slava Zhikharenko is 14. He came from the town of Alekseyevka in Belgorod region. My son got sick with lymphogranulomatosis in 2006. He underwent 6 chemotherapy blocks in Belgorod, radiation therapy in Rentgenology & Radiology Institute in Moscow, then autotransplantation at Blokhin Oncology Centre. After a relapse, he had six more blocks of anti-relapse chemotherapy. Now Slava is in remission, but to strengthen the result it was decided to perform bone marrow transplantation from an unrelated donor.
When Slava first got sick, the whole town helped our family (our town has fewer residents than a district of Moscow or St. Petersburg). But now people are looking askance, they can't continue to help endlessly…
Our family of three includes Galina (mom) and two children. We have no other relatives. My oldest son Maxim is a student at Technical College. I deliver mail and have a salary of 3,700 rubles per month. We live in a room in a dormitory-type apartment building. I am no longer paid sick leave, because it is limited to three months under our laws. Our family has no money not just for the bone marrow donor, transplant delivery, medicine and apartment rent in St. Petersburg, we have no money for food. Our financial situation is critical.
We are sincerely grateful to "AiF – Kind Heart" fund for covering the cost of the donor search in the International registry! The donor has been found, and the transplantation is scheduled for December 9. Galina and Slava have already come to Raisa Gorbacheva Pediatric Hematology and Transplantology Institute in St. Petersburg for examination. Slava comes for testing each day, and his hospitalization is scheduled for the end of November.
We urgently need to raise 2,500 euros for the transplant delivery, and we have only two weeks for that. Our family will also be thankful for any financial help with living expenses in St. Petersburg, current medicine and examinations, and apartment rent. We will be grateful for any help!

Galina, Slava's mom
Contact phone:
+7 (951) 670-51-20

Medical conclusion

Update as of November 30, 2008. We would like to thank Doc for paying apartment rent.

Update as of December 8, 2008. We are sincerely grateful to City of Smiles dental office and Mikhail Titov personally for free dental services for Slava. Without their help, Slava's transplantation would have been impossible. We would also like to thank our volunteers, Irina, Elya and Svetlana for organizing this help. We used donations sent to all patients to pay for delivery of transplant. Slava had now completed all pre-transplantation chemotherapy and the transplantation will take place tomorrow.

Update as of December 12, 2008. The transplantation took place on schedule.

Update as of December 25, 2008. Slava recovered after transplantation and was discharged for outpatient monitoring.

Update as of January 29, 2009. Slava feels well. The control PET scan was scheduled for February 10th and it costs 15,000 rubles. Please help Slava!

Update as of February 25, 2009. The PET scan results show that Slava is in a complete remission. He is planned to also undergo scintigraphy and bone marrow puncture. Slava suffers from a light form of skin GVHD.

Update as of March 20, 2009 Based on testing results, Slava is in remission and has practically none of GVHD symptoms. In the next few days he is planned to be discharged. Slava and his mom need help with buying clothes, food and tickets, as the family is out of money.

Update as of April 14, 2009 Unfortunately Slava has a relapse; plus an aspergillus antigen has been detected. Slava needs Vfend, 200 mg twice a day, one pack of Vfend costs around 25,000 roubles and lasts for a week. Further treatment is now under discussion.

Update as of April 27, 2009. Slava will undergo chemotherapy course at Blokhin Oncology Center in Moscow, at the unit where he received treatment prior to transplantation. Afterwards, he will get donor's lymphocyte infusion at Gorbacheva Institute of Pediatric Hematology and Transplantology. Slava is still taking Vfend.

Update as of May 25, 2009. Unfortunately, Blokhin Oncology Center refused to accept Slava for treatment, and he came for chemotherapy to R.Gorbacheva Institute for Pediatric Hematology and Transplantology. We used donations sent to all patients to buy medications for a course of chemotherapy for Slava.

Update as of June 17, 2009. Slava recovered after a round of chemotherapy and infusion of lymphocytes and was transferred for outpatient monitoring. If control CT scan results are normal, he will be allowed to go home for three weeks, until the next lymphocyte infusion.

Update as of June 23, 2009. The control CT scan showed negative dynamic. Slava was allowed to go home for two weeks, and afterwards he will undergo another donor's lymphocyte infusion.

Update as of July 15, 2009. Slava returned to St. Petersburg for lymphocyte infusion.

Update as of August 4, 2009. Slava was discharged home for supporting therapy. Unfortunately, the doctors are still unable to control the growth of the lesions.

Update as of September 9, 2009. Slava came for another round of tests and for the planned lymphocyte infusion.
Based on CT scan, he continues having negative dynamic.
On September 10th he will undergo a puncture and will be scheduled for lymphocyte infusion.
Slava's mom

Update as of October 15, 2009. Slava has worsening of aspergillosis again, and donor's lymphocyte infusion was postponed. Slava is undergoing treatment with Vfend.

Update as of October 21, 2009. Slava tolerated donor's lymphocyte infusion well, and was allowed to go home for a month. Thanks to donation from Natalia, Slava was able to travel home with four packages of Vfend. Thank you very much!

Update as of December 9, 2009. Based on CT scan results as of December 2, Slava's condition had not worsened. He still needs Vfend. His condition is stable and in January he is planned to have a consultation and the third donor's lymphocyte infusion.
Slava's mom

Update as of February 8, 2010. Based on PET imaging results, Slava has small progression of his disease. After the consultation with Professor Anna Sureida, he was recommended BIM chemotherapy followed by donor's lymphocyte infusion.
The treatment is supposed to start after February 18th. Slava's mom wrote to our fund: "From the bottom of our hearts, we are grateful to everyone who supports Slava and I and gives us emotional and financial help, without which Slava's treatment would not have been possible. I had to leave my job and we have absolutely no money for treatment or living expenses. We love all of you. Thank you very much!"
We are sincerely grateful to Natalia Roschevskaya, Slava's continuing supporter, for helping to buy Vfend.

Update as of April 3, 2010. Slava is undergoing chemotherapy at R. Gorbacheva Institute, which will be followed by donor's lymphocyte infusion. He does not feel very well, but is still in a positive mood.

Update as of June 10, 2010. Slava came for planned tests. He feels well. PET is scheduled for July 25, and then further therapy will be under discussion. PET will cost us 10,000 rubles. Please help us with paying for it. Slava's mom

Update as of August 4, 2010. Based on PET imaging results, Slava still has a lesion in his chest that is not, however, accumulating contrast. He is planned to have a biopsy of the lesion to determine its nature, as well as immunohistochemistry and tests for viruses. Slava is now taking Natulan and Endoxan. If it turns out that it is fibrosis, the therapy will be corrected.
Slava feels great and he is enrolled into Petrovsky school.

Update as of October 4, 2010. On October 2, with difficulty breathing and low blood oxygen, Slava was taken by ambulance to Children's hospital No.1. After rinsing of his bronchus in intensive care, he was put on a ventilator.
Once the doctors decide that he can breathe by himself (they will review him on Monday), Slava will undergo bronchoscopy.

Update as of October 5, 2010. Slava is in a stable condition. His blood pressure and temperature are normal. He receives antibiotics to fight infection in bronchus and the upper right lung. Slava is for now on a ventilator.

Update as of October 7, 2010. Slava feels better. He was taken off the ventilator and he is now conscious. His temperature and blood pressure are normal. He receives antibiotics therapy. Slava stays in intensive care unit for now.

Update as of October 17, 2010. Slava feels rather well. He was transferred to R. Gorbacheva Pediatric Hematology & Transplantology Institute for further treatment.

Update as of October 22, 2010. Based on bronchoscopy results, Slava has atypical lymphoid cells, and he has enlarged lymph nodes in abdominal and pleural regions. Slava is retaining fluids. It was decided to start anti-relapse chemotherapy cycle with Gemzar. Slava is in a serious but stable condition.

Update as of November 15, 2010. Slava underwent a cycle of chemotherapy. He had recovered and was discharged for outpatient monitoring. He feels well. Further treatment is under discussion.

Update as of December 9, 2010. CT scan shows improvement. Slava feels well and attends classes in college.

Update as of January 17, 2011. Slava feels well. He enjoys going to college. PET is planned for the end of January. We are very grateful to all our supporters for their help!
Slava's mom

Update as of February 28, 2011. After the treatment Slava received, PET is showing improvement: the old lesions shrank significantly and there are no new lesions. Further treatment is under discussion. Slava feels well and is ready to fight.
Slava's mom

Update as of March 10, 2011. Slava's response to the Gemzar chemotherapy course was good, so on March 4 he was admitted to hospital for another course. He is feeling fine.

Update as of May 29, 2011. Slava is now at home feeling fine. PET is scheduled for June 7, 2011. Depending on the results the doctors will consider lymphocyte infusion.
New Slava's photo

Update as of August 16, 2011. Slava's temperature rose and he underwent bronchoscopy. Based on results, he has fungal and strep infections. Slava is receiving Vancomycin, as well as inhalations of fluimucil and Orungal. His temperature normalized and Slava feels much better.

Update as of September 11, 2011. Follow-up examination revealed tumor foci. The doctors prescribed chemotherapy with Gemzar. The course began on September 9. The boy is feeling ok.

Update as of October 3, 2011. We would like to thank AiF-Kind Heart fund for buying 12 packs of Vfend for Slava for the total of 360,600 rubles.

Update as of October 19, 2011. Slava is done with the Gemzar course. As far as we can see the lymph nodes are gone, CT has been scheduled for October 21 (we need 8,900 roubles to pay for it). Based on the results teh doctors will make a decision on further therapy.
Slava's blood counts are recovering quickly, although the chemotherapy itself was very hard.

Update as of November 29, 2011. Based on CT scan, Slava is improving. Tumor volume had decreased significantly. Slava now needs to get over bronchitis and then the is planned to undergo chemotherapy with ribomustine and revlimid. The drugs cost close to 300,000 rubles. Please help!

Update as of January 12, 2012. Slava had a very good response to therapy with revlimid and bendamustine. Visually, no lymph nodes are seen. Slava is now undergoing the second cycle and he tolerates chemotherapy very well. After finishing the second cycle he will have planned evaluation and discussion of further treatment.

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