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Save a Child: Vakulenko Vanechka, 10 years old – alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma of nasal cavity.

February 20, 2010, 12:00 3508 Author: Grigorjeva Inna(translated into English by Kharnova-Pair) www.deti.zp.ua Due to the donations, Vanya's father got 4000 hryvnas on his bank account which will be spent on purchasing drugs for the next several months. Now Vanyusha takes a treatment course in the oncoheamatological department of of Zaporizhzhya Regional Clinical Children Hospital.

Due to the sympathy and help of people who did not stay indifferent, Vanechka father's got the sum of money which was enough for buying necessary drugs and additional nutrition for the boy withing the next several months. We are very thankful to all the people who responded to Vanyusha's request for help. For now the family have enough money, and we temporary mark Vanya's request for help as inactive, but we will appeal to our readers for help again if there appears a need for it.

For now, Vanyusha is getting through the third block of chemotherapy in oncoheamotological department of Zaporizhzhya Regional Clinical Children Hospital as there are no available places in Kyiv Institute of Cancer. Having finished the third block of treatment Vanechka and his father will go to Kyiv to repeat the medical examination.

Diagnosis: Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma of nasal cavity.

Medical case record 1 Medical case record 2

Before he got sick, Vanechka had taken a big interest in computer, played football, enjoyed going for picnics with his family, swam and dove into the river.

What is better than recreation and rest with family?

But in the beginning of June 2009 the boy's nose inflamed and his left eye got swollen. Thinking that their child got got maxillary sinusitis, his parents took him to the ear, nose and throat doctor, but the prescribed treatment did not take effect. Then Vanyusha was taken to the otolaringological department of Zaporizhzhya City Children Multitype Hospital N5 where he was examinated. As a result of checkup Vanyusha was diagnosed with tumour in the nasal cavity. A decision about the operation to remove the neoplasm was made. The operation took about 7 hours since the tumour had grown into the frontal part of cranium and eye orbit. Later the histology showed malignant neoplasm – rhabdomyosarcoma.

Vanya and his mother after the surgical operation.

As Vanechka's disease is very complicated, he takes after-surgery treatment course in Kyiv National Institute of cancer. The boy was prescribed taking 9 blocks of chemotherapy. He has already passed one block, and in August the 7th he is going to take the second one. National Institute of Cancer suffers from financial shortage, and all the parents have to purchase drugs themselves. Vanya's family have spent all their savings on the first of treatment course, operation, their trip to Kyiv, and now they need our help. Vanyusha needs taking a course of medicine 'Holoxan' (anticancer drug) and Cosmegen (anticancer drug, antitumour antibiotic belonging to actinomycin category). Vanyusha's family needs 2200 hryvnas for ordering these medicines, and the boy will need to take 8 more blocks of treatment.

Vanya's family is very united and strong, his father works in the medical field in the Novonicolaevsky district of Zaporizhzhya Region. The family's income does not cover all the medical expenses. We appeal to all the sympathetic people: let's help the Vakulenkos family to purchaise the medicine for their son. For now they need about 2200 hryvnas (for August), and then, within the next 7 months they will need the same drugs for which they will need the same amount of money (if the prices do not grow up).

Vanyusha and his sister.

We believe that your sympathy and support will help Vanya to get back to his normal child life: playing games, studies, communication, and will let his live happy life.

Vanyusha's family live in urban-type community Novonikolaevka, Zaporizhzhya Region

Methods for transferring donations for the treatment of Vakulenko Vanechka:

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