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Life of a Ukrainian boy in a German hospital.

2011 09 23 Views: 2075


Five days ago Taras finished the first chemotherapy session that lasted 10 days without interruption. Three powerful medications were administered to Taras. Professor Lode from Greifswald University Hospital whom we negotiate Taras’ further treatment compares this chemotherapy session with an atomic bomb because it is damaging both the tumor and the whole body.

 

Taras felt right away the positive and the negative actions of the chemo.

 

In the last days of the chemo, Taras stopped complaining of the pain in his back and in his legs and he did not have high fever any more. All this makes us hope that the tumor is getting smaller. Body temperature is sill normal after the end the chemo, but  Taras is still taking antibiotics.
On September 16, Taras needed platelet-rich plasma transfusion. The procedure is different from what we were used to in Ukraine. Once the decision was made, the nurses brought everything that they needed.  In Ukraine I had to make phone calls to potential donors and make appointments for their testing and then worry that somebody might not show up. Then I had to run around the hospital and ask other moms if they knew somebody with Taras’ blood type and hear “of course, we do not know anybody”. And all I could do was pray that analyses would not fall to the extremely low point while we were still looking for a blood donor.


 
Involuntarily, I keep comparing the treatment here to the treatment in Ukraine. I doubt that German doctors would be able to work even for a week with that speed and in those conditions in which our doctors work in Kiev Institute of Cancer. Here is one example, the capacity of the children’s oncological department in the hospital of Nuremberg is 10 patients. Now 6 or 7 kids are hospitalized, and only our Taras is in the critical condition. In Kiev Institute of Cancer on the same space 20 times more little patients are undergoing treatment, and most of them are in critical condition.

 

We have 3 weeks of rest, and during this time, Taras’ analyses should improve. After that another 10-day chemotherapy and some medical tests here in Nuremberg.  Once the results are ready, we plan to move to the hospital where Taras will continue the treatment.
We have to make a decision about the hospital. The hospital in Nuremberg where we had to begin the treatment so urgently is not specializing in transplants in recurrent neuroblastoma. We have a list of German hospitals that have the necessary experience in transplants. Most likely we will be choosing between Greifswald University Hospital or Würzburg Hospital.
We forwarded Taras’ papers with inquiring about the possibility of treatment there along with a request  to give us a preliminary invoice   to some other hospitals as well.
 

 
So far we received one answer in writing from the hospital in Munich, but the preliminary cost of the treatment there is way too high – 350 000 Euros. We know that it is one of the most expensive hospitals in Germany, and most likely, we will not go there. Representatives from hospitals in  Greifswald  and  Würzburg  mentioned the prices that are approximately 35% lower.

 

In the last days, Taras is making progress in learning the German language. At  first, he did not want to hear about learning German and he refused to watch German cartoons. But several days ago in cafeteria he was interested in a cartoon that was on TV and after that he began watching cartoons even though he does not understand what the characters are talking about. German nurses are excited when they hear Taras saying «Danke», «Bitte», «Gutentag», and Taras in return learned quite a few words from them. Today, Taras showed them that he can count in German up to seven.

 

Andrey, Taras’ father, wrote on his Facebook page today about another important matter: testing whether Taras’ sister can be a donor for Taras. We are waiting for the results on Friday. If the answer is no, we will test Taras’ father.  However, German doctors say that the probability that one of the parents can be a donor is extremely low. Our main hope is in Tatiana.

 

Thanks to everybody for your support and help in organizing fundraisings for Taras. All this is important to us, and not only financially. Your support gives me energy and strengthens my faith. Thank you.