Marek is suffering from glioblastoma! Please help him win this battle!

When do we start to appreciate our boring, normal life? When it falls apart…
That’s what happened to us on 13 April 2022. My dad, Marek, a 61-year-old professionally active man (a doctor!) was taken to the hospital in Łódź after he had experienced seizures in the shopping mall. It was just the tip of the iceberg. A CT showed a change in his brain!

During the MRI, the tumor ruptured and caused a hemorrhage. My dad had to undergo emergency surgery! After the procedure, his condition was poor. He developed right hemiparesis and aphasia (he lost the ability to speak). It came as a shock to us! In less than 24 hours we almost lost a father and a husband!

We appreciated that he was still with us, though. All we could do was wait for the histopathology results. And they were horrifying! We received the worst diagnosis—a glioblastoma multiforme, grade 4 brain tumor. The neurosurgeon informed us, that my dad, due to his postoperative condition, might have a couple of weeks, or maybe a month left. Even if his condition improves, his average survival time is devastatingly short – just up to 12 months from experiencing the first symptoms…

What’s next? No one knows. Traditional medicine offers only radiotherapy and chemotherapy. My dad underwent therapy in the Copernicus Memorial Hospital in Łódź. Meanwhile, he experienced an episode of thrombosis, which luckily was treated. Thanks to physical therapy, he also recovered from hemiparesis. He can walk, use the restroom, and eat. Oh, how do we enjoy the little things!
Neurological speech therapy improved my father’s communication abilities, although it hasn’t cured the aphasia yet.

Despite his progression (which is spectacular, taking into account his poor condition after surgery), the diagnosis is still excruciating. We refuse to come to terms with the fact that this is the time to say goodbye… My dad has three grandchildren, and the fourth is on the way.

Before the disease, my dad had worked as a pulmonologist in the Military Medical Academy Memorial Teaching Hospital in Łódź. He was valued by patients, liked and respected by colleagues. We constantly receive the words of support and comfort from them, in addition to medical assistance.

My dad has always been active and has cultivated his hobbies. He used to sail and paint pictures. He and mom have loved to dance, especially the Argentine tango… They have both lived their lives to the fullest! We cannot believe that this would be over…

We obviously started searching for another way to fight the tumor. The most dangerous is the relapse that ALWAYS occurs. We just have no idea, when it will happen. We are looking for the options that would stop the tumor from growing and let my dad live longer.

We have recently found a clinic In Germany—the Immune-Oncological Center in Cologne, that offers an immunotherapy with the use of dendritic cells, which is unavailable in Poland. Many patients look for a solution there, and in some cases the growth of the tumor is suppressed. Lives get prolonged by many years! We believe that my dad would also benefit from that type of treatment!

Unfortunately, our family cannot afford the cost of the therapy and a stay at the clinic. Your donations would help us cover the cost of the first of three stages of the treatment. If we manage to raise the sufficient amount, and my dad will react well to the procedure, we will continue the treatment.

Please, support our fundraiser. It is the only chance to save my beloved dad…

Friends, family, and patients