Vova died in February 2008

Medical documents

How to donate money to sick children

Vovka Schkryabko is a lovely, smiling boy. I could not believe my own eyes that it was him who was told about by a young woman in tears.

Brain tumor, operation – and all this concerns this boy!

At the beginning of fall Vova’s eyes grew red. For several weeks he was treated from allergy but the medicine was of no help. Then Vova started complaining about headaches, he was diagnosed migraine… and again weeks of treatment, this time from severe headache. One day Vova began vomiting. They could not stop it. In five days Vova was so weak that he could not leave his bed His mom Lena took him to hospital and refused to bring him home unless doctors diagnose his condition. The tomography test followed which pointed to the medulloblast of cerebellum.

In emergency, in three days after tomography, Vova was operated on. The tumor sized 5õ5 cm was taken out. Then ordinary procedures for cancer patients followed –irradiation and chemotherapy.

After the doctor’s verdict and operation almost a month has passed. Lena is still in shock. She can’t believe that such a trouble knocked at her family’s door. The boy seems to be healthy when one looks at him. The doctors might have been mistaken, she believes. Lena is in tears when she speaks about Vova’s illness.

Vovka is a sociable child. We spent two hours at his home, and he was able to tell me about his cats and dogs, his favorite movies and music, his fish in the aquarium and classmates. We arranged car races, shouted “fir tree, lights on” and tried to make pussy Murka jump out of the window as she usually does when wants to go out in the street (Murka was not in a mood, and Vova was busy helping her out).

- Mom has recently allowed me almost nothing! Neither going for a walk to play with my friends nor go to the computer club. I am not even allowed to jump on my bed. We wander from hospital to hospital, but I am all right.

His tone changes.

- I am injected disgusting vinchristin, which makes me sick.

While saying this, Vova looks straight into my eyes. He condescends to the adults who have no strength to tell him the truth and leave his doubts with him..

Gazing at the boy, I realize that he is strong, the strongest of us. He pities his mom and does not ask her “inconvenient” questions, avoid complaining about pain and sickness.

When saying good-bye to me, Vova expressed his wish to call me and chat. In an hour he called me back to learn whether I had safely got back home.

He is a kind, openhearted boy. When he grows up, he will, no doubt, do lots of good. It will be in the future. At present, he has to overcome his insidious disease. He has to go through serious treatment without losing his child’s frankness and adult’s reasonableness. His parents are in constant search of money to pay for their son’s treatment. They have to complete their house (the family of four lives in two rooms of an unfinished house, with plastered walls, heating is only in one room).

All willing to help this family can contact Vova’s mom Lena by phone +3 8 066 317 55 62.

Financial aid and necessary medicine are welcomed.

Instant transferences of money PrivatMoney, Pravex bank, Aval Express, Avers (Finance and credit), WesternUnion, and others. Electronic payment systems can be used, as well (Web Money, Rupay and others).

In case of donations do not forget to contact volunteers who work with Vova and his mom.

With the Shkryabkos communicate volunteers from Zaporozhye Gavrisheva Irina +3 8 097 1364182 and Gavrisheva Natalia Anatolievna +3 8 098 9334052, hematologia@mail.ru or Albert Pavlov +3 8 066 513 34 35, detizp@mail.ru

How to donate money to sick children