Elena Morgun, born on the 10th of August, 1990
Diagnosis: Idiopathic aplastic anemia.
Up-to-date treatment news of Elena Morgun
The Reports of Donations Received and Spent
ATTENTION (14.02.2013).:
The fund-raising campaign is closed. Elena currently does not need your help. Thank you very much!
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We recently got an anxious phone call from the hematology department of the Regional Zaporizhzhia Hospital. The head physician asked us to support their twenty-two-year old patient who needs an expensive course of treatment but cannot financially manage it independently. The following day I went to visit this patient and get more details. What I heard from Elena exceeded all my expectations…
When I entered the ward I saw a sweet girl.
- Hi, I’m Alina from the “Happy Child” charity foundation.
- Hello, and my name’s Elena.
I suggested to Elena that we leave the ward and find a quiet place for our conversation somewhere in the hall. I was surprised by her peace of mind. We sat on a couple of chairs and started our talk.
Here is an extract of Elena’s story which she told me with her voice trembling:
“I used to live in the village of Podgornoye in the Novonikolaev district. Since early childhood I dreamt of moving to the city, finding a good job there and finally feeling myself a normal human being. My dream has partially come true, though. After the death of my mom in 2004 my retired father was the only one who cared for me and my younger brother. His pension was hardly enough for the most basic things. I decided to enter the Zaporizhzhia State University and I succeeded in doing this. When I was a second-year student I had to look for a job and, thus, had to transfer to the distance learning department. I had no other choice because my father could not pay for my upkeep any more. I rented an apartment and worked as a waitress in a restaurant. My life got so awfully hectic that I hardly even had any time to notice that there was something wrong with my health. Finally I ended up in losing consciousness on my way to the shop. I became very skinny and got some bruises under my eyes. To top it all, my heart ached, I had a bad headache and my legs got swollen. The only thing I wanted was to stay at home and see nobody. My friends raised the alarm and insisted on my going to the hospital. After I was “kicked” around hospitals (since I am not a registered citizen of Zaporizhzhia) I was finally examined. Since my hemoglobin level was 28 (with the normal rate of 130) I was immediately taken to the intensive care unit. I was diagnosed with aplastic anemia. Although the hospital #9 didn’t refuse to treat me, the doctors recommended me to take my treatment course at the Regional Zaporizhzhia hospital which I did.
The week of tests and treatment preparations was rather challenging for me. I’m at the hospital now, surrounded by naked white ward walls and sick people who just like me need God’s and doctors’ help. One can hardly imagine how frustrating it was for me to find out about my illness. My life seemed to have finally settled down – I almost obtained my diploma, felt full of energy and enthusiasm, had friends but all of a sudden I am here, lying on the hospital bed… It took me some time to get over it. Now I understand that there is no time for tears. I need to gain enough strength to reach my goals.”
After Elena finished her story, I felt a huge desire to help her no matter what.
There was no tension or secrecy in our dialogue. Elena was so open that I didn’t even want to end our conversation. This young lady surprised me with her staunchness.
Aplastic anemia is a condition where bone marrow does not produce sufficient new cells to replenish blood cells. The most expensive medicine used for treatment of aplastic anemia is Equoral that costs 145 US dollars for a package. One needs one package of this medicine for ten days. The course of such a treatment should last at least 3-5 months. Unless there is a progress, one should undergo bone marrow transplant.
We’re appealing to you, our kind donors to help Elena continue her vitally important course of treatment. She needs around 3 packages of Equoral a month (415 US dollars). All in all Elena needs 15 packages of the medicine to complete her five-month treatment. We really hope that Equoral will help Elena avoid costly and complicated bone marrow transplant surgery. Elena’s sixty-two-year old father is already retired and not able to support his daughter. He and his younger son are asking you to help their brave daughter and sister to win this fierce battle against anemia!
Elena comes from the village of Podgornoye, Novonikolaevka district, Zaporizhzhia region.
For further information please contact the volunteers of “The Happy Child” Foundation
The fund-raising campaign is closed.
