Urgent! Maksio is fighting for life. Our son is only 8 years old… He also has a second relapse of one of the most dangerous and fatal children’s cancers - neuroblastoma. The hope is fading day by day. Our last chance is the hospital in Barcelona which specializes in treating this cancer. We need to collect at least 50 thousand euros until the end of May if we want to fight for Maks. We are begging for help, otherwise the cancer will take our boy forever.

Maks was only 3 years old when this nightmare began. At the end of March 2017 he started to suffer from the pain in his leg. He pointed at it and cried. Nobody even suspected that there is a huge tumour in his stomach which oppresses the hip.

That spring was supposed to be the most beautiful time for our family. We were expecting another baby - Maks was so happy to have a little brother. That was the eight month of pregnancy - the diagnosis that knocked us off our feet. Neuroblastoma – a type of cancer that is formed from nerve tissue – 4 stage – the worst. Metastasis to the bone marrow and bones. Instead of happily expectation, we faced horror. We were dividing our time between two hospitals: oncology and maternity. In June our baby boy was born, whereas our older son was fighting the battle of his life. It’s hard to explain that situation: cancer, chemotherapy, metastasis, prognosis. 

After months and years of living in hell, we thought we won. No evidence of cancer - in the world of oncology everyone dreams of hearing such words. We left the hospital and we were full of hope and relief. Our normal life lasted 1,5 year. The time of wonderful hope that we won the fight.
Unfortunately… 23rd of June 2020… Father’s Day. The worst day of our lives. The horror came back with double strength. Maks woke up and told us he couldn’t see with one eye. We were sure what it meant.

Another examination and we knew it - RELAPSE. This is something which horrifies every oncology patient. We were heading to another battle - more difficult than the previous one. Maks was older, he understood more… It was more difficult for all of us. Again he got chemotherapies, radioactive therapy, autologous transplantation, immunotherapy. We were fighting for another 1,5 year hoping to come back to health. Just before finishing the treatment, when we saw the light that it can be over, in December 2021, ANOTHER RELAPSE came. We went back to chemotherapy. 

“Mum, what have I done that I need to stay in hospital?” Our heart is broken when we hear such words. What can I answer? How to explain that it is not his fault? That we do this for his health. That we allow him to be in pain because we are fighting for his life. The worst thing is that the cancer doesn’t want to go away. Maks is going to have radiotherapy soon. But the treatment hasn’t worked so far. The metastases are not smaller. But hope is less.  

We need to fight, we need to do everything we can do. The clinic in Barcelona gave us the green light. They want to treat Maks. He can get immunotherapy of the new generation there. The effects are promising. The only thing we need now to go there is money. A huge amount of money. That’s why we are asking you for help. 

We are going to Barcelona in June. To start the treatment, we need to collect at least 50thousand euros…The cancer is more and more strong and this therapy is the last chance for Maks. Our son always asks when he will finish going to hospital, when he will be able to play carelessly with his brother again. The only thing we want is to have our son healthy. And alive…

We have been struggling with cancer for so many years. Years of spending time in the oncology department, years of helplessness, suffering… We saw children at Maks’s age passing away. We saw their parents’ desperation. We are afraid that we are going to lose this war and we are going to lose the sense of our lives. Please, help us. Don’t let Maks die…