Cancer made Lilianna’s childhood a living hell! She is fighting for life!

Recently our daughter was running around the room, laughing and singing her favourite “Let it go” song. Currently, she is lying in a hospital bed, exhausted, pale, powerless and bald. I am holding her tiny hand, and I’m afraid that if I let it go, I will lose her.

Our lives changed forever in April. Lili, our 4-year-old daughter, suddenly felt sick. The first symptoms resembled stomach flu, allergy, and acute migraine, followed by imbalance! We were terrified! We quickly went to the emergency room to examine Lili. 

The worst scenario revealed itself. The doctors said that Lili had to stay in the hospital due to a significant change in her head. 

We looked at our child, a volcano of energy, joy, and happiness. It could not be true! A couple of days prior, Lili had seemed fine! Our hearts were ripped out from our chests. 

However, we knew that we would not surrender. We started a fight for life!

Our daughter was immediately admitted to the neurosurgery ward. The doctors inserted a venous catheter, and took a blood sample from her. Forty-five minutes after, we found out that Lili had hydrocephalus. She had to undergo surgery to remove the excess cerebrospinal fluid that had built up in her brain. 

The surgery was complicated yet successful. However, we knew that it was just the beginning. There was another crucial surgery ahead of us, which was tumour removal. 

The next day the head of the hospital department came to us with new information. He showed us the location of the tumour and the method by which it would be removed and informed us about the duration of the surgery. He also told us about the possible postoperative side effects, like speech disorder, dysphagia, and breathing difficulties, to name a few.

We were scared, but we knew that it was the only solution to save our child.

The day of the surgery finally came. We were sitting outside the operating theatre and praying. We could not do anything more. 

The complicated surgery was endless. Fortunately, despite being risky, it was successful. The doctors removed 98-99% of the tumour, and the side effects did not appear. 

The condition of our daughter started to improve in the following days. She was regaining strength, and we believed that everything would be fine. 

We were looking forward to receiving test results that would identify the tumour.

Until the end, we hoped that soon everything would go back to normal. 

Unfortunately, we were wrong. On 25 April, we received a diagnosis. It was a grade IV malignant tumour, medulloblastoma. Our hope died, and our joy turned into despair. 

In the following days, Lili was transferred to the oncology ward for continued treatment. 

The remains of the tumour can be removed only via chemotherapy which is exhausting and takes away the strength. Our reality consists of Lili’s crying, screaming, changing dressings, and a tangle of tubes and medications injected into her body. It is hard to explain all of this to a child that does not quite understand what is happening. 

Today we know that the only solution for Lilianna is a specialised treatment abroad. Unfortunately, her life was estimated high. The cost of the treatment is enormous, and we cannot afford it. That is why we are begging you for your support! You are the last chance to save our child. 

The Parents