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Save a child: Pshenichniy Daniil, 2 years old - aplastic anemia

October 3, 2006, 0:00 16082 Author: Albert Pavlov, Zaporozhye, Ukraine Zaporozhye orphanages website Danka is at home! He celebrates his one more birthday! The boy has now a chance for usual life … chance for a life! Thanks very much all people who supported Danil all this time

Case history from the hospital (on Russian)

How to donate money to this child

This page on Russian

It happens that some families have to experience more grief and hardships than others. Svetlana Pshenichnaya lost her dad at 16. After his death her mom got apoplectic stroke, which was repeated. She had been taking care of her paralyzed mom for nine years. In 1999 mom died, and Svetlana was left alone in the whole world. She was frightened by her loneliness. In 2003 she met a man with whom she wanted to have a family. But he left her when she was seven months pregnant. It was horrible and offensive, but her heart was warmed by a baby she was going to have. She would not be alone anymore. All her love would be given to him.

The baby was born on 29 December 2005. But his life was in danger. During his birth his heart stopped. The doctors were able to reanimate the baby whom Svetlana named Daniil. The worst seemed to be left behind. But in a few hours Svetlana got another shock. Danechka had extremely low haemoglobin, nobody knew why…

His first seven months the baby spent in hospitals of Zaporozhye, Kiev, again in Zaporozhye. He had to endure never-ending painful and unpleasant treatment. The baby nearly got used to those dozens doses of donor’s blood transfused into his body. He was diagnosed innate partial 1 sprout red-blood anemia Dimond-Blackfond. The boy’s body produces too little erythrocytes, but without them all organs cannot get enough oxygen and suffer from it. This disease is rare. Only on in a million newly born has it! In Ukraine only three children have it. Dan is very unlucky to have it. But not only is the illness frightening but also its form. 80 percent of the children with this anemia endure treatment. But Dan belongs to those 20 percent whom typical treatment does no good. Lots of money was spent on expensive treatment to give Dan a chance to live not in hospital but at home. All in vain. His life depends on regular blood transfusions.

Because of it many complications have developed: the content of iron is 180 times higher than it is normal. There are problems with liver, heart and spleen which have difficulty having high rates of iron. Because of low content of hemoglobin the kid gets tired quickly, he cannot, like children of his age, run and jump. Dan’s life is hospitals, injections, droppers with donor’s blood that can save him. He is not aware of another life. But such a situation cannot last for long! High rates of iron and low hemoglobin are slowly killing the boy. Sveta has nothing to do. The whole universe is concentrated in her child who is dying away. She has given him life but cannot keep it. Treatment costs a fortune. So much that a single mom cannot imagine. Main experts in Ukraine admitted the Dan’s only chance is non-relative transplantation of marrow. But such patients are not operated on in Ukraine. In Minsk, Belarus, such an operation cost 65, 000 US dollars. The sum is enormous but a fair-haired boy’s smile is worth it. This money must be invested in Dan to able to see him four years later on his first school day and in 16 years dancing at a school leaving ball. Could be money more important and valuable than life, an ordinary, healthy life of a small man? The sooner the sum is collected, the more chances to survive does Danilka have. In a year or two because of heart affect marrow transplantation may become impossible and the kid will be left to slowly die away. Can we allow this to happen?

This is a letter written by Svetlana Pshenichnaya about her critically ill son Daniil:

"My name is Svetlana Petrovna Pshenichnaya. I was born in 1974. From 1994 I have been working as a painter-decorator for a state-run organisation. In 1990 my father died. As a result, my mother suffered several strokes and was diagnosed with a trophic ulcer of both limbs. In 1999 I lost her.

In 2003 I met a man with whom I thought I could spend the rest of my life and start a new family. He left me when I was 7 months pregnant. I was devastated, but on 29th December I gave birth to my lovely son Daniil.

Right after the delivery, my baby was taken to the Intensive Care Unit. His little heart stopped during the birth. Soon after, I took Daniil to the state hospital were he was diagnosed with an inborn partially seedling red cell anaemia (Diamond-Blackfond).

When Daniil was just 2.5 months old, I sought a second opinion and took my baby to the Ukrainian Oncology Centre for Children " OCHMATDIT" in Kiev. Unfortunately, the earlier diagnosis was confirmed.

Without any positive effect Daniil went through the recommended course of treatment- Eprex, Recormon Stimulators of Eritroid's Line, Hormones…

Now, according to the doctors, the only procedure that can save my son's life is a marrow transplant.

Until the donor is found, Daniil's survival depends on blood transfusions that must be repeated every 3-4 weeks. Due to the frequency of such transfusions, he has an abnormal level of iron in his blood (180 times over the limit). To bring it down, Daniil must take an iron-excretive medical preparation called "Disferal", which can only be purchased overseas.

On top of that, Daniil liver is enlarged as well as the spleen. There are also some serious problems with his heart.

So I am asking you, please, help me save my son.

According to the oncologists at the Kievian "OKHMATDET" clinic, without costs of the current treatment, a search for a donor, marrow transplant's operation and subsequent treatment will cost 150-180 000 euros. It is a lot of money, but this is a price of Daniil's life. He is the only person in this world I have.

Any financial help as well as a donation of above-mentioned medications would be greatly appreciated

I would also appreciate if you could let me know whether there are hospitals where children with similar conditions to my Daniil's are treated.

There is also a need to find a clinic where Daniil can be tested to find a match for the transplant's donor.

Thank you in advance!"

Those willing to help may contact Svetlana Pshenichnaya (Russian speking) by calling: +3 8 096 116 85 38

You may also speak to Daniil's doctors by calling (on Russian): + 3 8 061 222 21 50 (Zaporozhye State Hospital for Children, 5th floor, the Oncology ward)

Zaporozhye State Hospital for Children is located at: 70 Lenin's Avenue, Zaporozhye, Ukraine

You can use account in US dollars:

Beneficiary: Pshenichnaya Svetlana Petrovna

Account: 6762462013951816

Bank of beneficiary: Privatbank, Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine Swift code:

PBANUA2X INTERMEDIARY BANK: JP MORGAN CHASE BANK, New York, 11245 USA

swift code: CHASUS33 CORRESPONDENT ACCOUNT: 0011000080

or read

How to donate money to this child

Albert Pavlov, a volunteer from the "HappyChild" organization has assigned himself to help the family. You can contact Mr.Pavlov (speaks English) by calling +3 8 (066) 513 34 35, or email: detizp@mail.ru

Happy Child foundation - effective help to the most needy children of the Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine, since 2004

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