CHILDREN ARE AFRAID OF DARKNESS – SAVE FRANEK’S EYES

Children are afraid of darkness, for it evokes loneliness and fear. You cannot see the danger, you cannot defend yourself. And that is when the fears swirl through your mind. Adults are afraid of cancers. The disease evokes loneliness and fear. You cannot see the danger, you cannot defend yourself. This word itself frightens you.

Paulina and Łukasz have just learned that their little son has been diagnosed with binocular cancer. The day they heard this information was the worst day in their life. Full of tears. But they had to act immediately. That is why they ask for your help. They need it so that the blackness of the disease does not cover the colours of the Franek’s life. He also is very afraid of the darkness.

A little boy lying in bed and their parents tenderly leaning over him. When it comes to show the world seen through the Franek’s eyes, the picture starts to blur... The cancer took control – over his sight, over tomorrow, over his life.  But in reality, Franek sees less than it is showed by the camera. The cancer occupies 75% of the surface of his left eye. The right one is not much better. The boy is losing sight. This is the very last moment to stop the disease. 

„…Right eye: large tumour at the optic disc. The smaller one under the retina. Spreading in the vitreous body and swelling at the eye perimeter. Whitish masses at the retina at the main tumour. Left eye: serous retinopathy behind the lens. A tumour at the bottom, close to the lens. Rubeosis iridis, shallowed anterior chamber of the eye. No cases of the Retinoblastoma in the family...” the information from the medical history report leaves no doubts. And it seemed so harmless at the beginning – a slight squint that is “so usual for every child”, so there were no reasons to be worried about.

One winter after-noon, while playing together, Franek’s mother noticed a glare in his eye. There were many explanations: reflection of the TV set, the light of the lamp.  But the anxiety appeared and made the parents more vigilant. His left eye started to grow. Another sign – developing asymmetry. Franek’s mother has already seen before the profiles of the children suffering from the retinoblastoma. She was familiar with the problems of other mothers having their children at the same age. She took her son to the ophthalmologist. The light of the doctor’s lamp provoked the reflection. That was a bad sign. We were sent for further exams – the nightmare has just begun.

In Płock, there were already five doctors waiting for us. The mother remembers the flow of strange words. Cancer, tumour – no one used these words at the beginning. Perhaps nobody wanted to scare her – it was important to calm down her little son and he would feel her fear right away. Or maybe no one dared to be the first to tell bad news. Franek was diagnosed with necrotic retina and sent for detailed exams to the Children’s Memorial Health Institute.

When Franek was transferred to the oncology department, the parents had no doubts. That is the place where the suffering is a part of everyday life. The fundus examination was supposed to show how strong the cancer is. Now we know that it is too strong.

The EEG test showed that Franek is suffering from the epileptic seizures. The mother suspected that it might have been something wrong. While playing, it was sometimes happening that he was becoming still, as if he was distant. Voice or touch did not seem to work. After a moment, he was coming back, as if nothing had happened. How many suffering can bear one child? Apparently, the life did not impose any limits.

The doctors made it very clear. The information that it would be necessary to remove left eye aggrieved much the parents. Franek probably cannot see anything through his left eye. The right one is not much better, but at least the retina is still in the right place.  Franek underwent one cycle of chemotherapy. He knows already what the stomach-ache is and how hard the days following this chemotherapy are. Now there is time for another cycle. No one gives any guarantee. But the mother remembers the cases of other children suffering from retinoblastoma. She knows that they can do more.

Dr Abramson proposed Franek the treatment that is not available in Poland. 50% of chances to heal the eye which is theoretically a hopeless case. There is a chance that when the tumour retreats, the retina will come back to its place. 98% of chances to heal the right eye. As far as the optic nerves are not damaged, we can still fight.  And that is exactly what we intend to do.

The binocular cancer wants to deprive Franek of sight. The boy is not even one year old. He does not know how beautiful the spring can be, as his first one is only about to come. Even though his world is less and less sharp, it is still colourful and bright.  If you still hesitate whether to donate, close your eyes, get up from your chair and try to make yourself a tea. We fight together for 

Franek, so that he does not have to experience this helplessness.