Stage IV neuroblastoma❗We are saving the life of one-and-a-half-year-old Antos❗

Persistent fever

That was the only symptom. There were no other warning signs, no symptoms that would have allowed us to predict the scale of the threat. However, further tests and consultations all pointed in one direction. The diagnosis came quickly and was merciless. Stage IV neuroblastoma with metastases to the bone marrow, bones, and lungs.

It was not a single change or a problem limited to one area. The disease affected the entire body of such a small child, robbing the family of their sense of security from one day to the next.

First procedures and decisions with no turning back

On October 6, a bone marrow biopsy was performed and the tumor was removed from the right adrenal gland using laparoscopy. A few days later, a vascular port was inserted, which became a permanent part of Antos's everyday life and a symbol of treatment that has no simple stages or shortcuts.

Treatment is just getting started

The boy began treatment in accordance with the SIOPEN HR NB protocol. Eight doses of chemotherapy scheduled over seventy days. He tolerated the first cycle well, although each administration of drugs required constant monitoring of blood, urine, and hearing parameters. However, this is only the beginning. Ahead of him lay high-dose chemotherapy combined with a transplant, followed by twelve doses of radiotherapy and five cycles of immunotherapy. The treatment was scheduled to last for many months, with no time for rest and no real respite.

A family torn between home and hospital

Antoś alternates between staying at home and in the hospital. During his hospitalization, both parents are with him constantly. During this time, his grandparents take care of his older son. The family's life has been divided into two worlds, connected by constant vigilance and fear, which does not allow them to forget about the threat even for a moment.

This fear is difficult to hide from an older child. Worried about his younger brother, the boy absorbs the emotions surrounding the illness and treatment, even though he cannot yet name them himself.

Everyday life dominated by illness

Stress, fatigue, and distraction have become part of everyday life. Every morning brings the same question: will we make it to the evening without complications or side effects? Every thought, regardless of where it starts, returns to Antos's treatment. The moments when his illness allows him to simply be a child are priceless. When he plays, smiles, and explores the world, his parents rediscover the strength that they are losing day by day. In these brief moments, they see clearly what this struggle is about and why they continue to rise from their helplessness.