Similar to 2018, Podari.Life now provides critical medicines for Russian patients, supplementing and substituting Russian National Health System. This year, we already paid for treatment medicines and treatment components for several wards of "Podari Zhizn" - our sister charity in Russia for a total of $26 084 USD.
In particular for Roman Vyatkin, a 13-years old boy from Ekaterinburg, needed Cidofovir (anti-viral treatment in preparation for bone marrow transplant). We have covered the cost of medicine (US $ 5.427). Also, for 10-years old Alina Terentieva who suffers a returning ALL (acute lymphoma), we purchased necessary amount of Oncaspar (US $ 18.620), but as the recommended treatment - stem cell transplantation - more help may be needed. We will keep up with a demand for rare and unlicensed medicines needed to save children in Russia - with your hearty help and gifts.
Right now we are raising money to buy Defitelio for Yegor Bozhenov
($ 26 000 USD).
Defitelio is the only treatment, that helps patients to fight veno-occlusive hepatic disease (VOD) occurred after bone marrow transplant (BMT). Podari.Life buys Defitelio for Russian hospitals, because it is not available for medical use in Russia and therefore cannot be provided by medical insurance companies.
VOD is one of the most frequently encountered serious complications after bone marrow transplant. It is a life-threatening complication that had not been known in medicine until BMT treatment emerged. In this syndrome, small hepatic vessels' cells are damaged by toxic metabolites generated during the preparation to BMT (conditioning).
There are two factors that put patients at risk of VOD. First is conditioning regimen with Busulfan, Cyclophosphan, Melphalan or total body irradiation; second is pre existing hepatic damage occurred due to hepatitis or iron overload caused by frequent blood transfusions. While dangerous conditioning regimens could be avoided, risky pre existing factors still have to be dealt with. Approximately, 1-2 percent of patients undergoing BMT develop VOD and need to start receiving Defitelio immediately. That is why it is so important to have a permanent stock of Defitelio in every BMT-department.
Donating money for Defitelio for pediatric hospitals you help children to fight dangerous complications of cancer treatment.