"For the first time during the 6 months of illness Sofia’s general condition has improved a little.
All this time her condition remained hard. She was constantly running a temperature, the quality of her tests dropped periodically (especially after high doses of chemotherapy). To bring everything to the norm, intravenous injections of platelet, protein, blood transfusions and intramuscular infections of leukocytes were used. Each time after these procedures the girl’s temperature rose drastically up to 39.5C.
It was very difficult to watch the suffering of the dear small person but we were not able to help her in any way. If only we were able to take her pain away on us! After each cycle of high-dose chemotherapy Sophiyka was not able to rise from her bed for 3-5 days. She was lying there covering her eyes with her hand; she didn’t eat or drink, didn’t talk and didn’t let anyone touch her; all she was doing was crying and screaming from pain when we tried to wash her or to change her clothes. She didn’t respond either to the volunteers or to the clowns that were visiting the wards in the effort to amuse the children. We had to carefully pour kissel and tea into her small mouth using a syringe because the doctor in charge had warned us that if she didn’t get full value nutrition then spasms in her bowels would likely begin and they hurt very much. During the entire period Sonya was connected to a special drip used to remove chemicals out of the organism.
When it hurts so much maybe music can help to release the pain?
Living through such hard spell of days we were praying and hoping that the following day would bring relief to Sonya. 5 long months passed this way: after insignificant improvements everything used to go worse again. The test results used to improve and dropp again.
But a day came – and a bright day it was – when Sophiyka asked for some food. First she ate quite a bit – a spoon literally, then one more and one again. Later she started to talk and even to joke and smile! After several days she wanted to get to the game room to watch cartoons. She started to take interest in life! In spite of the pain and her weak legs she started to go out to the corridor pushing the drip stand ahead of her.
All this was happening before her birthday: on the 26th of November, 2010, Sophia celebrated her 3rd birthday. There was a birthday cake, presents and greetings from everybody in the Minsk onco-hematologic center: for the previous half a year they had become dear and close people to us.
Look what I’ve got!
On the December the 9th Sophiyka started her following cycle of chemotherapy: backbone lumbar punctures and intravenous injections of vincristine. For the next two weeks she will be taking hormones: Dexamethasone (pills); Colistin (antimycotic medication), Metronidazolum, Amphomoronal. It is also necessary to take Ursofalk (syrup) but we didn’t manage to get it anywhere and it is not available in the Center.
Each day I thank God for all those who have been and who are beside us during this times so hard for our family; for everyone who supports us both morally and financially. We have already run out of money and if not for the support of different people whose names often stay unknown to us and if not for the charitable foundation support we would have no money by now to treat Sophiyka. That is why I thank everyone helping us sincerely and from the bottom of my heart. I am saying “thank you very much” and bow low to all of you, to the Happy Child foundation, to the “Zaporozhye patriot” foundation, to all my acquaintances, relatives, classmates, home villagers, to the Church, the involved personnel of different organizations – to everyone.
I also apologize because I do not often share information about Sonya’s clinical course and treatment process but I do not have either a computer or the Internet. It’s only after the trips to Minsk that I’ve got an opportunity to provide the information, photos and documents to the Foundation staff and they can later place it on the site.
With respect and gratitude,
Svetlana Vladimirovna, Sophia’s grandmother.”
Sophia is still in need of our help: if not for donations this child would not be able to get effective treatment! We kindly request you to continue with your help to Sonechka: each hryvna counts in this!
You can make donations for Sonya Geyko treatment, the requisites can be found at the page with help request.
Grandmother’s (Svetlana Vladimirovna) telephone: +38 (067) 854 28 40
Ways to make donations (donations via the Internet, money transfers from Russia etc.)
To obtain additional information you can always address the staff of the Happy Child foundation.
