My husband died from brain cancer… Now I have to fight for my son’s life on my own!

The death of my husband was tragic news for our family. Until then, we fought for our son Marek’s health, celebrated progress in treatment, supported each other, and worked together. Now I am all alone, and I’m struggling.

Please, help me!

Bad luck came upon us from every possible direction. First, we faced the tragic death of my beloved husband and a great father. After our loss, I received much support from my father, who also passed away soon after. And then my mom was hit by a car. The accident left her in critical condition. Meanwhile, Marek was admitted to the hospital with a suspicion of hereditary tumor syndrome! I still cannot wrap my head around it. 

When Marek went to the hospital, wounds that slowly started to heal reopened. It turned out that his disability was associated with perinatal brain injuries. The doctors administered him a drug that was supposed to cure him but destroyed our previous efforts instead! 

Unfortunately, his condition will get worse in the following months. He started to lose previously acquired developmental milestones. Marek’s cheerfulness was replaced by indifference. I desperately searched for a doctor who would offer Marek the correct diagnosis. I found out that the previous treatment was wrong from the beginning, causing a regression in my son’s development by several years! Now we need to restore what he lost.

Sometimes I think I’m having a nightmare, and everything will go back to normal when I wake up. It never does. So I do my best to help my son. If you only knew how smart he is!  A mentally healthy boy is a prisoner of his own body that doesn’t listen to him doing the opposite of what he wants. However, we can see some minor progress! A change for the better!  One month of physical therapy with medical equipment has already restored movement in his hand! He achieved that in only one month!

When everyone lost faith, I kept mine, and the impossible became possible! The doctor said that the best therapeutic effects can be achieved with medical devices. They impose a correct pattern of movement on a body. That, in turn, will be remembered by the brain. Thanks to that approach, Marek can open and close his hand now. 

Thanks to a neurosurgeon Marek visited in September, we finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel. He recommended a new solution for Marek. It is a treatment called deep brain stimulation (DBS) that involves implanting electrodes within the brain that regulate abnormal impulses from nerve cells. It is available in Poland at the 10th Military Research Hospital and Polyclinic in Bydgoszcz. 

The cost of treatment is ca. 200 000 Polish zlotys. It’s free for patients with Parkinson’s disease. Not for my child, though… Marek also requires an expensive walker that promotes correct movement. He needs rehabilitation and medical devices. 

Time is running out! Marek is almost 15 years old. We must act fast until his brain is plastic enough to assimilate new skills. Soon it will be too late…  Marek suffers every day. He is devastated when his body doesn’t listen to him. When he knocks down an object, he starts screaming that it’s not his fault!  I know, it’s not. It’s his body’s… I need to help my son, and I won’t make it without you… 

Until recently, I have struggled on my own. Unfortunately, it’s hard for a single mother. I believe that good deeds and open hearts will be rewarded.  Please help my only son!

Justyna, the mom