Help Children with Cancer Access Treatment!

Little Sofia is now 6. When she was 1 years old, she suddenly stopped walking. After multiple evaluations, she was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a type of aggressive childhood cancer, and referred to a Children’s hospital in Kyiv, Ukraine. The first cycle of chemotherapy was such a shock to Sofia that she spent 10 days in ICU on a ventilator. These were terrifying days for her parents, but Sofia pulled through and responded to treatment. The response lasted only a few months, however.  Sofia was hospitalized once again and spent another year on chemotherapy and radiation treatment. The disease was taken under control and Sofia began recovery and learning to walk, run and ride a scooter like the kids her age. Unfortunately, cancer returned again, this time as metastases in her lungs.  After the surgery to remove them, Sofia’s parents decided to take their daughter abroad to a hospital in Turkey to make sure she is able to access care not available in Ukraine. There Sofia received more chemotherapy followed by a transplant of her own stem cells to strengthen her remission.  

After a year on treatment and a remission that lasted 2 years, Sofia's family received devastating news: cancer came back, but this time as a Ewing's sarcoma, a cancer of bones and soft tissues.  With the Russian aggression destabilizing Ukraine's medical care, Sofia's parents had to take Sofia back to Turkey for treatment. They need urgent support to make sure Sofia receives appropriate care.

We appreciate your care for children with cancer, particularly those from the most vulnerable countries like Ukraine.  Thanks to your donations, we will be offering support to Sofia and her parents to help them with their financial burden.  We hope you consider supporting more patients like Sofia to help us provide assistance throughout the year.