Five years turn into ten

Little Polina Gliom, a brain tumor. Doctors did not promise much, five years and partial paralysis. But now she is already chasing a scooter and a bicycle

We help genetic studies for children with brain tumors collected 2,871,900 R required 3,000,000 r

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Polina wants to sculpt from plasticine, launch a mechanical fish into a basin, eat another piece of cherry pie and go for a walk - all this at the same time and preferably with her mother. Olga repels her daughter a strayed hairpin on fluffy blond hair and says: “Okay, you can plasticine.” The fields flies into the room with a whirlwind, and Olga is preoccupied with: “Yes, we are not very good at platelets today, she is quieter than usual.”

Not with me

In the first kindergarten, the field was called the prosecutor, because she always knew who should play and what. "Our leader!" - Olga grins. The leader returns to the kitchen with plasticine in his hand and the second cookies are enough.

“The first thing that is written on the Internet about glioma is incurable,” Olga pulls a dense knitted sweater. - Look, if the tissue is the brain, then the glioma is a thread that is woven into it. Can I pull it out without damaging the fabric? So with the brain. "

The completely diagnosis of Polina sounds as follows: malignant astrocytic glioma. The accumulation of harmful cells in the blossom of the head, an alien who did not manifest itself for a long time - the glioma can grow slowly, not metastasize, not give complications, and does not manifest itself at all.

Olga with Polina on the playground photo: Andrey Lyubimov for TD

“It all started with the fact that she began to swallow and freeze unusual,” says Olga. - Well, what did we suggest? Something is wrong with the gastrointestinal tract! We went to a regular clinic - then I still trusted them. The ultrasound of one organ, the second, third, treat the worms, drink enzymes, gastroscopy. Then everything is the same, but already in a private clinic. ”

One of the bouts happened right with a gastroenterologist - the field froze, and it began to “twist” it, to turn their whole body to the side. The doctor said that these are not stomach problems, this is another part.

“We found out the diagnosis for so long,” Olga says. - This is all leisurely done, one study, another, a cool neurologist, the neurologist is even cooler, one medicine, the second. I am not a doctor, but I see that my child is just fading! ”

Polina on the playground photo: Andrey Lyubimov for TD

Once Olga called for work from kindergarten and said that Polina "looks at us very strangely." It was her last working day - Olga quit and took the girl. “You walk in the dark all the time,” she says. - Therefore, you try to figure it out yourself. I opened the Internet, scored our symptoms into the search engine and went to the page "Symptoms of brain cancer." I read and closed in horror, wiped it. No, this is not oncology! No, not with my child, but not with me! "

Pay the contrast

A month later, in the intensive care unit of the N.N. neurosurgery Research Institute Burdenko, accompanied by a dozen doctors and residents, quickly entered the academician Alexander Konovalov. One of the best neurosurgeons of the country is already 83 years old, but he operates the most difficult cases himself. Polina he did two operations and went to see how the girl recovered.

“Fields, what do you want now?” The surgeon asked.

- I want to go to the ward! How much can you lie here? - said Polina. - To the ward! And give the cutlet!

Mom Olya shows her daughter feeder photo: Andrey Lyubimov for TD

At the Research Institute of Neurosurgery, Polina got from the neurology department of the Big Moscow Children's Hospital, where the ambulance brought her with another incomprehensible attack. The clarity with her condition was not increased, but the attacks were no longer measured by seconds, but for minutes. Olga persuaded, begged to make an MRI.

"I'm sitting under the door, the doctor comes out, I to him:" Well, doctor, what is there? " Doctor to me: “Come on, mommy, to the cash desk, pay for contrast,” says Olga. - And then I found out that “there” is a tumor. Nine and a half centimeters. Simply put, half a bag. "

Malignant, harmful cells penetrate healthy, grow together with the brain substance. It is difficult to remove them, it is fraught with serious consequences, but Alexander Konovalov removed almost half of the tumor in two doses, and Polina began to return to life. Olga shows a photograph from resuscitation - a small cosmonaut in bandages lies with a bitten banana in her hand. In the right hand.

Polina on the playground photo: Andrey Lyubimov for TD

“I am sending this photo to my mother, and she calls, cries, laughs and shouts:“ I see correctly? Is this the right hand? Really right? ""

The tumor was located so that after the operation, it was the right hand and the right half of the body should remain paralyzed. “Nobody ever gives forecasts,” Olga says. “I was about to buy a wheelchair.”

Now the fields are chasing a scooter and a bicycle.

Five years

In the first hospital, the field was given a week. Academician Konovalov at the first reception told Olga: “We can extend your child’s life for five years. You must understand this. ” Olga says it is tough, but only it is necessary:

“Five years turn into ten. Ten at twenty. Our task all the time to look for some options, a new treatment, development appears. When you hear about time - you mobilize. "

Polina's mother watches her daughter photo: Andrey Lyubimov for TD

For a child with a brain tumor, treatment does not end with surgery, even if it has passed successfully. Then they “beg” - they make radiation therapy, treated on a special installation with ionizing radiation. Then chemotherapy.

“Drugs for the treatment of brain tumors with only a dozen,” says Olga. - About half is an armor -piercing, hard “chemistry” that cannot be given to children. The choice is very small. ”

The drug prescribed by Polina provides the state in the form of Indian generic. It is difficult to evaluate whether he would act or not, the child is so twisting during therapy that he simply does not absorb. The donors of the Constantine Khabensky charitable foundation raised funds for a girl for a course of treatment with an original drug. Polina has a disability pension, dad and grandmothers help, but it would still not be possible to do without external help - in addition to expensive therapy, only MRI should be done every two months. Olga got a job in kindergarten, where Polina goes, there they look at the fact that the child should often be carried to the doctors. The problem is that sooner or later even the original drug ceases to act. And he has no alternatives. If you do not make a molecular genetic study and do not determine which genes were caused by oncology.

Mom washes hands Polina after walking photo: Andrey Lyubimov for TD

“Imagine, these are tumor cells! - Olga puts a blue tea saucer on the table and divides it into several parts. - When they do sequencing of the genome, it becomes clear - here, Paul in the head mutated the gene, which is responsible for breast cancer, here is another one - for oncology in the gastrointestinal tract. When we know what the tumor consists of, you can add other drugs aimed. ”

After a molecular genetic study, options appeared. Polina added another drug, it enhances the effect of the main therapy and itself affects the tumor.

“Not all doctors are ready to use targeted therapy, it’s easier to go, less headache and responsibility,” says Olga. - But our oncologist Ange told me: “We must do, what are you afraid of?” ”

Mom helps Polina pour the dough in a pan photo: Andrey Lyubimov for TD

Fields began to drink a new drug, and MRI immediately recorded positive dynamics. Olga says that now she is really not afraid: even if this particular drug stops working, a genetic-molecular study gave many options for possible therapy. You can try more.

Every day, the field together with her mother goes to kindergarten, Olga works there as an administrator. It is not far from home, if good weather is on a scooter. Every two months, the fields travel to the Research Institute of Neurosurgery. MRI small children are often done under anesthesia, but Polina gathers, focuses and can lie in the apparatus absolutely motionless. And Olga is collected and always concentrated.

After dinner photos: Andrey Lyubimov for TD

“Our favorite neurologist Elena Anatolyevna taught me an incredibly important thing,” she says. - You just need to go to another life corridor. Just take yourself by the scruff and transfer yourself from one life to another. There, where is always spring and summer, where my wonderful daughter. Despite any research results. ”

From the windows of a high -rise building opposite in the kitchen of Olga and Polina, sun bunnies scatter. The fields asks if it is possible to put a jacket on the street - the summer finally came to Moscow.

The first complete decoding of the genome for a private person was made in 2008 - then it cost 350 thousand dollars. Now the sequencing of the genome is still not cheap, but still much cheaper than ten years ago. In the West, it is even included in certain medical insurance, simply because it is not only saving for patients, but also cheaper to treat serious illnesses in the early stages and suitable therapy than to try expensive medicines.

Polina photo: Andrey Lyubimov for TD

Brain tumors are the second diagnosis of incidence of children after leukemia. In numbers, this is from about a thousand to two children a year in Russia. With early diagnosis and correctly prescribed therapy, 70% of the sick are good chances of recovery.

Previously, the Konstantin Khabensky charity foundation was looking for money targetedly, for a molecular genetic study for each particular child - and for each collection of funds it took several weeks. This is a time that these children do not have. In 2015, the fund paid for research to 21 to a child, in 2016 - 123 children. The collection of this year is precisely systemic, design so that the fund can react as soon as possible to requests for help so that it is not necessary to wait.

Any amount that you transfer to this project is timely diagnosis and effective therapy. These are life that you can save.