A malignant brain stem tumor is threatening our three-year-old daughter's life. We're fighting!

Disturbing changes

In early May, we noticed that Alicja, when focusing her gaze on objects, began to tilt her head to the left and look at things in an unusual way. At first, this happened only occasionally. Over time, however, these episodes became more and more frequent. Shortly thereafter, we noticed that her right eye was starting to wander. The following days brought further concerning signs. When she developed a headache, we knew we couldn’t wait any longer. Our parental intuition told us that something was happening that we desperately wished we didn’t have to fear.

Nine Days Between Hope and Fear

The CT scan performed in the emergency room showed no abnormalities. The next day, we were transported to Poznań, where further diagnostic testing began.
More tests, consultations, and long hours of waiting followed. Every result that failed to provide an answer brought momentary relief, only to leave us with even more questions shortly afterward.
An eye exam showed no abnormalities. A lumbar puncture also failed to explain the cause of her symptoms. We waited nine days for the results. From our perspective, those were some of the longest days of our lives. On May 27, she underwent an MRI.
That’s when we found out what our little girl was facing: a malignant brain stem tumor.

We no longer remember many of the words spoken that day. What we do remember, however, is the feeling of the ground giving way beneath our feet. Just a moment earlier, we had been living ordinary lives, which, like most people, we took for granted. It was only then that we realized how much we would miss it.

In an instant, everything that had seemed important up to that point lost its meaning. Work, responsibilities, and everyday matters faded into the background. All that remained was Alicja and an overwhelming desire to do everything possible to save her.

The treatment plan and the journey we must take

On June 4, the doctors implanted a vascular port in Alicja. A dozen or so days later, radiation therapy began. Thirty treatment cycles have been scheduled for our little girl.
From Monday to Friday, we live at the hospital, which is 241 kilometers away from home. We return home for the weekend, trying to regain at least a semblance of normalcy.
The hardest part is returning to the ward. Alicja is deeply affected by every trip back to the hospital. She’s filled with fear, tears, and tension—emotions we can’t soothe just by being there.

As parents, we’d like to take that fear upon ourselves. We’d like to protect her from the pain, the uncertainty, and everything else that comes with treatment.
But we watch as she looks to us for a sense of security, and we have to guide her through the next stages of therapy, knowing that this is exactly what her health requires.
This is one of the hardest things we’ve ever had to go through. We, too, are filled with anxiety about the future every day. But we try not to lose hope.

We’re willing to do anything for Alicja.
Thank you for all your help and for all the love you’ve shown our little girl.