Dima Anikeiev, born on 9 September 2009
Diagnosis: Cystic fibrosis.
Up-to-date treatment news about Dima Anikeiev
Medical certificate: page 1 page 2 page 3
Telephone numbers of parents and volunteers
Dima looks like a small and fragile boy. People always think that he is younger than he really is, but it is all due to his illness. The boy always becomes the soul of any company as his compelling laughter and positive attitude attract everyone.
Dima’s mother, Natalia, does her best to ensure the long and relatively healthy life of her little boy. To be honest, it is hard to imagine how she copes with this task. Natalia has got three children. Only thanks to the help of other people who do not stay aside she is able to provide proper treatment to Dima.
Natalia tells us her story:
“All our friends and relatives said that my boy would be happy as he was born on such a day! My Dima was born on 09.09.09, though it did not bring him much luck.
He first got sick, when he was about six weeks old. I can remember it as if it was yesterday: all those tests, injections, droppers, and the intensive care unit. I tried to calm myself down, repeating that it was just a nightmare, it would pass, everything would be fine. But it never passed and never became fine. When my boy was five months old, the doctors diagnosed him with cystic fibrosis with pancreatic deficiency. Then I learned that this condition would stay with us forever and also that Dima’s life expectancy depends on how well we comply with our doctors’ prescriptions. Our life goes according to a strict schedule: inhalations, physical training, drugs administration, and regular hospital stays.
Cystic fibrosis is a hereditary disorder, gene mutation, leading to the damage of excretory glands, severe dysfunction of respiratory organs and gastrointestinal system. Unfortunately, in our country children with this diagnosis never become adults. Abroad, patients with this disease live till 40-45 years old, but they have all the necessary drugs and significant social support. Abroad, the government funding covers the expensive life-saving medication Pulmozyme, antibiotics, vitamins, drugs for inhalations. We have a quite different situation, de jure certain things should be covered, but de facto…
My boy is not worse than any other, healthy child, but due to the circumstances he needs more care and attention and also a lot more drugs without which he will not be able to survive.”
Once, Dima asked his mother: “Mommy, when I get healthy and we won’t need to stay in hospital all the time, will you buy me a bike?” Of course, Natalia said: “Yes”. She knows that her boy will never be able to get rid of this disease but she wants him to live a life full of joy and happiness. Besides, Natalia does her best to make sure the boy lives as many days as he can, and not in the hospital, but at home, at school or with his friends. Without your help, this woman with three children will not be able to make it happen.
The charming blue-eyed blond boy needs about UAH 4,000 (approximately 185 US dollars) per month for medications.
Please help Dima to live many more days without pain, tears and asphyxia.
The family lives in the city of Zaporozhzhye.
For additional information, please contact The Happy Child Foundation
