Hello,
I am the mother of a large family from Odessa. My name is Ludmila Donina.
Our family is in trouble: our daughter Victoria (born in 1988) is sick
with acute myeloblastic leukemia M0.
She was diagnosed with that disease in 2007 at the Odessa Regional
Clinical Hospital. The doctors said that with such a diagnosis our girl
did not have any chances in Ukraine, so Victoria was sent to the
Hematology Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Medical
Sciences in Moscow, Russia. She was administered chemotherapy there,
and in August 2008 a bone marrow transplantation was performed.
My daughter began to recover and went back to everyday life.
She resumed her studies at the Odessa State University (and I
would like to note that she finished school with honors).
Victoria got happily married.
The last course of maintenance therapy was scheduled for March 2010.
But in February Victoria had the flue, and then acute leukemia relapsed.
At present the girl is in Moscow again, where she's administered
chemotherapy. It will have to be followed by a non-relative
bone marrow transplantation.
It can be performed at the Raisa Gorbacheva Institute of Children's
Hematology and Transplantology in St. Petersburg, but we have to
pay for the donor search in the international registry (there
are no matching donors in the family) and the transplant
delivery to St. Petersburg. That amounts to 17,500 euros,
and our family does not have such funds.
My husband is disabled (group II) and has had 8 surgeries in the
last two years (the most recent one was performed on June 29, 2010).
My children are students. We've been waiting for our turn to get
an apartment from the government since 1985. All the money that
our family had has already been spent on the treatment.
I wrote to numerous charity funds but have not received help
from any of them. It was only the Give the Life fund that responded
to my letter and recommended me to write to AdVita.
Please help me pay for my daughter's treatment!
Respectfully and hopefully,
mother of five children,
Ludmila Anatolievna Donina
Update as of August 4, 2010.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Healthcare is now studying our
papers and will consider covering the costs of the transplantation
and bone marrow donor search as well as all costs associated with
Victoria's stay in St. Petersburg.
The Sozidanie charity fund (Moscow) has issued a guarantee letter
for 160,000 roubles that would cover Victoria's treatment at the
Hematology Research Center of the Russian Academy of Medical
Sciences where Victoria is being administered chemotherapy now.
There is still a debt of 1 million roubles for the treatment
that has already been administered at the Hematology Research
Center which we have to find a sponsor for.
Victoria's mother
Update as of September 3, 2010.
We were very lucky: Health Ministry of Ukraine approved payment
for Vika's transplantation in St. Petersburg! We got guarantee letters
from them and currently donor typing is underway.
However, the bills for treatment in Moscow remain unpaid.
Sozidanie Fund transferred 160,000 rubles, but there is another
1,000,000 rubles of debt. We will be grateful for any help!
Vika is still in Hematology Center on chemotherapy.
Victoria's mother
Update as of November 16, 2010.
Vika is again at Hematology Center in Moscow. On November 12th she was
diagnosed with a second relapse. She received chemotherapy and is now in
satisfactory condition. I believe that our girl will achieve remission
without complications. We believe that disease will retreat in face of
her persistence and desire to live.
The government kept its word and transferred the money for the procedure
and the donor search. For the first time, we feel truly grateful to the
President and his spouse who helped with documentation. There are kind
rulers after all.
The search for a donor is continuing in Germany. However, the process
is taking a long time. Meanwhile, the bills for Vika's treatment at
Hematology Center are continuing to add up. Please help us raise at
least some money! We really need help!
Vika's mom
Update as of January 13, 2011.
Yesterday, Vika was hospitalized at R. Gorbacheva Pediatric
Hematology Clinic. Bone marrow transplant is planned for the end of
January. During Vika's stay in Institute we rented an apartment in
St. Petersburg, but the rent is very expensive for us.
Our problems with paying for treatment in Moscow are still unresolved.
We owe close to 2,000,000 rubles, and the last bill will be issued
this week. We really need help with paying for treatment and
lodging in St. Petersburg.
Ukrainian government paid for the donor search and transplantation,
but bone marrow delivery from Germany has not been paid for.
This is 2,500 euros, and help is needed urgently! Please help us.
Vika's mom
Update as of March 12, 2011.
Vika is in 47th day post-bone marrow transplantation.
She developed complications: thrombocytic thrombocytopenic
purpura, kidney failure (Vika is now on dialysis) and was
also diagnosed with fungal lesions in her lungs.
Vika had a good response to Cancidas.
Update as of March 31, 2011
Vika's condition is still very serious. She is in intensive care unit
on artificial lung ventilation and shows signs of kidney failure.
Update as of April 24, 2011
I feel as if my heart broke in half! It hurts when a human who deserves
to live leaves this world. Vika deserved to live. She was good and kind.
I do not remember that she has ever done anything that could have been
considered a sin. She lived a sin-free life and passed away because of
others' sins on Good Friday. I was told that on this day the Lord
only calls selected few to join him.
I do not want to talk about her in a past tense! We love her and will
always remember her. It's too bad she got help too late when her body
already exhausted all its resources.
But she won a fight! The donor's transplant engrafted fully. She left
this life as a winner.
We are thankful to everyone who has been helping us. Stay well!
I am praying for everyone who wished happiness to health to our
little star!
Vika's mom
