My name is Janusz, and my life began with a battle that no child should ever have to face. I was born at just 32 weeks, but even before I took my first breath, I was fighting for my life. What happened during my birth was beyond comprehension. I was born with a highly malignant tumor, and the moment I entered this world, everything went wrong.
I was premature, not breathing, and my heart wasn’t beating. The commotion in the ward was overwhelming. My mother, desperate and confused, asked what was happening to me, but no one could answer her. The doctors were too focused on saving my life. They were fighting against the clock, trying to stabilize me while I was struggling with multiple organ failure, circulatory problems, and fluid in my abdomen. To make things worse, I had jaundice and a severely enlarged liver.
I was immediately intubated, and the doctors tried everything they could to stabilize my condition. The initial tests were devastating—my internal organs were in critical condition, and I couldn’t even eat. Any attempt to eat caused my pulse to stop, leaving me fighting for my life once again. I was incredibly hungry, but every time I tried to feed, I was pushed to the brink of death. It’s hard to imagine a more bizarre situation, where trying to nourish myself meant risking everything.
In an attempt to give me a chance at survival, the doctors made a hole in my abdomen and inserted a special tube that went directly into my intestine. It was a desperate measure, but it was my only hope for sustenance. After a month of intensive care, I was transferred to a specialized children’s hospital for “hopeless” cases, where I was just another small, fragile life hanging on by a thread.
At the new hospital, things only seemed to get worse. I had full-body convulsions without explanation, and my growth was stunted. The doctors soon discovered that I had suffered a brain hemorrhage, and I was diagnosed with hypoplasia of the brainstem and cerebellum. I was in constant pain, tired, and lonely. Peaceful sleep was a distant dream.
Then came the MRI that revealed the source of my suffering: a large, malignant tumor in my adrenal medulla. It had already started to spread. The news was grim, and the road ahead was uncertain. But even as I lay there, facing a future full of pain and uncertainty, I refused to give up.
The first round of chemotherapy was the hardest thing I have ever endured. The pain, the nausea, the overwhelming exhaustion—it felt like too much to bear. I thought I wouldn’t survive. The poison wasn’t just attacking the tumor; it was ravaging my entire body. But somehow, I fought through it. After the first round ended, it was time for the second. I was exhausted beyond measure, but I wasn’t ready to give up. I was determined to survive, to see tomorrow, to have a future.
The chemotherapy worked. My tumor shrank. The doctors operated to remove what remained, and for the first time, I felt a glimmer of hope. I believed the worst was finally behind me, but the damage wasn’t gone. I still face significant intellectual and motor delays. My muscle tone is abnormally high, and eating normal food remains impossible. My body is still catching up, and I need intensive psychomotor rehabilitation to regain even the smallest abilities.
I have dreams. I dream of standing on my own two feet one day, playing with my children on the playground, feeling the joy of running and laughing with them. I dream of tasting normal food, of experiencing its flavor and sharing that joy with the people I love. But these dreams won’t come true without your help.
The road ahead is still long, and the challenges I face are not small. But I know that with your help, I can continue to fight. You are the only ones who can truly make a difference in my future. Your support gives me hope for a recovery, a chance at a future where I can live, love, and thrive.
Please, don’t leave me alone in this fight. Only thanks to your kindness do I have a chance at recovery and a chance at life. Every bit of support you offer gives me one more step toward the future I dream of.
Thank you for being the hope I so desperately need. With your help, I can continue to fight.