The bad will become good

Sometimes an entire city can unite to save one child. But this is not enough

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It all started with nausea and vomiting. The eleven -year -old Artem turned pale and stopped eating. For two weeks, gastroenterologists tried to cure him, and then surrendered. There was only one way out - to carry Artem from the Transnistrian fishing to Chisinau and find out there what is actually happening.

Moldavian doctors suggested twelve diagnoses: from appendicitis to cancer. While they excluded one disease after another, the abdominal cavity pouted like a balloon. Because of shortness of breath, Artem stopped moving, and then completely began to breathe only through the tube. One of the doctors finally thought of making computed tomography. The study showed Berkitt's lymphoma. When Artyom's abdominal cavity was opened, the tumor was everywhere: scattered like stars in the sky. Doctors removed what they could, but since the tumor was not localized in one place, the disease progressed.

Artem's mother - Tatyana Koval - from the first day, as her son was in the hospital, did not leave him. I slept on chairs, I could just sit all night near the bed.

“I said that I would not budge, and the doctors went to their concession - they allowed me to sit with him in intensive care,” Tatyana recalls. - They said that I need to sleep, and I answered them: “You think I can? I can get it here, because I see my son.”

Every day, Artem was worse. It was necessary to start chemotherapy rather.

“I doubted the last to the last,” says Tatyana. - I wanted to believe that this is a mistake of doctors. And when my sister offered help, we sent histology to Moscow. The diagnosis was confirmed. Doctors said they were ready to take up us. Still, the medical conditions in Chisinau are much inferior to Moscow. I was afraid to risk my son’s life. ” It was decided to go to Moscow.

“Time passed, Artem’s condition worsened. Every evening, when my husband came home, I asked: “Why aren't we going to Moscow?” He explained that he was preparing the necessary documents. It turns out that I later found out that I needed a huge, completely unbearable amount for us - 4 million rubles. And he tried to find them. "

With a world on a thread

Rumors of trouble in the Koval family quickly spread through the fishing tan.

“When people found out, they didn’t believe the first thing: how could this happen to an exemplary family, they did nothing wrong? - says Tatyana. - Not everyone understands what cancer is. Someone thinks that it happens due to the wrong lifestyle, nutrition or even punishment for bad acts. But many residents knew us personally. They saw how I walked and cherished the children. Every summer drove them to the sea to breathe fresh air. And, apparently, they later understood that the trouble happened to us not because of something. Probably, this test was given by God. ”

Absolutely unfamiliar artem people hung banners around the city with an appeal to help him, handed out leaflets on the streets

Soon, relatives, friends, friends and completely strangers with envelopes in their hands, began to flock to the house of Artyom's house, known to everyone at the registry office. Grandmother could not walk the streets: people stopped her, encouraged, put the money in their pocket, handed over to the horseshoe for happiness, a thread that would certainly help get rid of the disease, a golden cross from Jerusalem, an icon.

The whole city was sick. This was the first case that united the citizens of Transnistria in the struggle for the life of one child. Absolutely unfamiliar artem people hung banners around the city with an appeal to help him, handed out leaflets on the streets. Children's gardens, schools, enterprises transferred money to treat the boy - who could be as much as they could. There were even those who organized charitable concerts with the participation of local stars and exhibitions in the House of Culture, where the craftsmen from all over the country arrived. Everyone wanted to help Artem.

Tatyana and Artem Photo: Anna Ivantsova for TD

“Then they told me how scared to go around the city,” Tatyana recalls. “People are used to the fact that on both sides of the central alley there are advertisements with ads, and in those days they were completely glued with photographs of Artem.”

While Tatyana spent the night in chairs in the hospital, dad Artem spent days and nights in the Ministry of Health. I met and escorted officials near the doors. In the early days, the guard made him comments that he was in the building for too long, and then fell silent. Papa Artem said: "I will not budge until I get money for the treatment of my son from cancer."

“The husband somewhere found out: if we prove that the state refuses you to treat (there are no human resources, drugs, such a medical service) in its country, then it is obliged to direct the patient at his own expense to another country,” says Tatyana.

Pope Artem managed to reach the very top. The Deputy Minister of Health turned to the citizens of Transnistria with a request to provide all possible assistance - it took time to transfer money to the Moscow hospital, but the boy did not have him. As a result, the state allocated half the amount, half were collected by residents.

“And now it is true, all this - envelopes with money, crosses, icons, crafts - helped. I often ask myself the question: “Why did God give such a test to the child?” But he loves him. The Lord opened all the doors to us. When we eventually ended up in the Moscow hospital and achieved the transfer of money, the medical staff was perplexed: “Your dad has done something incredible, so far no one could get anything from your state.”

The second time

Artem successfully passed five courses of chemotherapy. He was discharged home, a few months later he went to school. And then he suddenly caught a cold, seemed to be treated, but the temperature of 37 degrees continued to hold on. Mom clogged the alarm. And again she took him to Moscow. It turned out that the tumor mutated to another - myeloid leukemia.

Toy bear, which was presented by Artem Odnoklassniki Photo: Anna Ivantsova for TD

“It seemed to me worse than what we experienced could not be. Some parents in the hospital went with a drooping head, they did not believe in anything, and my husband supported me. He taught not to give up and remain an optimist even in such a difficult situation. When the forces ended, he took my shoulders and shook me: “Look into my eyes. Artem feels everything. If you cry, we will not succeed, your mood is transmitted to him.” When I wanted to cry, I went out into the corridor. I did not utter a tear in front of my son. He was sure that he would recover. "

And the second time, when they reported the tumor, Artem himself could not stand it and burst into tears.

“He sat on the edge of the bed and cried:“ Mom, why so, we have already gone through all this, why again? ” This was the only time I saw his tears. Previously, when bad tests came to us, he encouraged me himself: “Mom, you don’t worry, everything will be fine with us.” And this time, Artem did not understand what was the matter. Nothing hurt, he felt good, but the tumor burned it from the inside.

The boy needed an urgent bone marrow transplant. All Koval Family Family was exhausted, there was nothing to sell, and it was somehow inconvenient to ask for the second time from the fellow citizens. Transplantation cost 6 million rubles. And then Tatyana turned to the Nastenka charity foundation. And they did not refuse there. The donor became dad Artem.

About 10% of patients coming to Moscow for treatment at the Research Institute of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology named after N. N. Blokhina, come from the CIS countries. In these countries, there is often no highly qualified assistance, technical capabilities for diagnosis and treatment, there are no experienced specialists in the treatment of cancer in children. Sometimes the only chance to save the child is to bring him to treatment to Russia. Assistance to these children is provided in the framework of the Nastenka’s regular charity program.

Little patients from the CIS in many cases fall into Russian clinics in serious condition, with improperly diagnoseds or incorrectly conducted treatment. There were cases when children were treated for lymphoma, and as a result, leukemia was diagnosed. Russian doctors are doing everything possible to rectify the situation.

Sometimes during the treatment of the body of a sick child “does not respond” to the planned courses of chemotherapy. And then the extreme and radical method is used - an operation for bone marrow transplantation.

The Nastenka fund does not matter where the child came from and what color he has a passport

“I had no idea that in Russia there are charitable foundations that really help children,” says Tatyana. - It doesn't matter where the child came from and what color he has a passport, although for the Russian state we are strangers. They raised money for Artyom transplantation with the help of ordinary Russians who do not share children on a national basis. All children are equal to them. This is surprising for today's world. I will never forget all these people, starting from the simplest person and ending with funds and doctors who have united their opportunities to save Artem. I understood that the right amount may not get together. I am a believer and I think that my son was saved with God's help. People helped us, but God directed these people to us. ”

Artem photo: Anna Ivantsova for TD

Transplantation was successful. But since it was necessary to periodically come to the hospital for verification, the Koval family decided to move to Russia. Everyone was surprised that they went nowhere, to a rented apartment. They left loving friends, prosperous work and started all over again. For the sake of Artem. He is calmer here. In which case, the doctors and the fund, which has repeatedly helped, nearby.

After transplantation, Artem suddenly decided that he wanted to become a doctor. “I realized that there is a lot of interesting things. In addition, I experienced everything on myself. Suddenly, I can guess the mystery why this is happening, ”he explained to his mother.

Now parents dream of Artem to enter the Medical Institute.

“It is very persistent and responsible, if it is taken to work, it will definitely bring it to the end. These are very important qualities for medicine. I have the feeling that he is a doctor from God. Maybe he really should do something good? Maybe it was not for nothing that he was given this test? Probably, this will be his gratitude ... I want all the bad and terrible to turn into something very good. ”

At the Research Institute of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology. N. N. Blokhina, where Artem was treated, other children from the CIS countries are also acted. Often the only chance to save the child is to bring to Russia and make bone marrow transplantation. In the Nastenka charitable foundation, these children can count on good and indifferent adults for whom the child’s citizenship does not matter. After all, more recently, we were all part of one big world. And by and large we stay.

The department of transplantation of the bone marrow of the research of children's oncology and hematology per year accepts five children from the CIS. The cost of a certificate for an operation for each of them is 2.2 million rubles, this is not counting the consumables. Please, help Nastenka: Subscribe to a monthly donation right now - and five more small patients will receive a chance for life in Russia. Each amount, even a hundred or two hundred rubles, brings them closer to a dream. Thank you!

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