Dustin is gone. The smile with which he walked through his illness remains with us.
Highlights
Highlights
Update
We bid farewell to Dustin...
A boy who, even when his body refused to obey him, was able to respond to the world with a smile, as if to say that he was still fighting, still seeing more than just his illness. He had more stubbornness than fear and a strength that cannot be measured by any test. Each of his smiles was an act of courage. Dustin left behind a mark that cannot be erased. In the memories of those who knew him. In the hearts of those who kept their fingers crossed for him. In the silence that sounds different today. We promise to remember. The smile that never faded, even when everything was too hard. January 19, 2026Recurrence and metastasis!
At the beginning of December, Dustin was hospitalized again. Performed An MRI scan of the sacral region revealed a recurrence of the disease and metastases. which began to put pressure on the spinal cord. This information left no room for delay and meant the need for immediate return to intensive treatment.Subsequent irradiations
Dustin has already undergone his first radiation treatment, and now he has subsequent stages of radiotherapy. At the same time, the following was carried out: an ultrasound examination of the stump, which unfortunately confirmed the presence of cancer also in this place. The disease is once again making its presence felt in many areas at once, forcing doctors to make more difficult decisions.
The pain persists
The most severe are lower back pains, which have reached such intensity that Dustin requires ongoing treatment with morphine. The doctors decided to increase the doses to at least partially alleviate his suffering and allow him to function without constant pain. Today, this is the only way to bring him even minimal relief.Smile despite everything
Despite the enormous burden of his illness, Dustin retains an extraordinary will to live. He can smile, joke, and rarely lets on how much it costs him.Christmas at home
He managed to return home for Christmas. Dustin received many gifts and was able to take his mind off his daily hospital routine for a short while. For his parents, seeing their son regain his joy and sense of normality, which he so desperately needs today, was a priceless moment.Thank you for being
It is a time full of tension, fear, and uncertainty. Every bit of support, every presence, and every thought is of immense value today. Thanks to you, Dustin and his loved ones know that they are not alone in this. January 5, 2026Sudden hospitalization and difficult days for Dustin
The last few days have brought another wave of anxiety to Dustin's family, even though it seemed that the limit of emotional exhaustion had long been exceeded. After returning from Warsaw, he developed a fever, sore throat, and cough, and his condition worsened by the hour. A persistent fever of almost 40 degrees, which did not subside despite strenuous attempts to lower it, forced his parents to call an ambulance. Tests carried out at the hospital in Krotoszyn confirmed that he had contracted the influenza A virus.The most difficult day in Dustin's treatment. Amputation
Today was supposed to look different. It was supposed to bring cake, candles and wishes. Instead, Dustin ended up in the operating theater, as doctors had to make a decision that offered a chance to save his life. Amputation of the leg was a choice that loved ones fled from with their thoughts, believing it could be avoided. Today, what they could not imagine has become a reality. It is a moment that is extremely painful and difficult, yet necessary to stop the progression of the disease.More days in the hospital
Dustin is again in a Warsaw hospital in the oncology ward. It's a difficult time. During examinations It turned out that emphysema had reappeared on the left side of the pleura, therefore surgery and the insertion of a drain was necessary. If all goes well, Doctors plan to remove the drain today-i.e., Oct. 21-and then administer a second cycle of chemotherapy - Holoxan.A night full of fear and hope
The past few days have been exceptionally difficult for Dustin. On the night of October 5-6, a high fever appeared, arousing the concern of those closest to him. By ambulance, the boy was taken to the hospital in Krotoszyn, from where, after preliminary tests, he was urgently transported to the "Cape of Hope" in Wroclaw. On site, doctors confirmed a pneumothorax on the left side. It was necessary to transfuse blood and platelets to stabilize his condition and give his body time to recover. He is now feeling somewhat better, although he is very weak and tired after those dramatic hours. He is still in the clinic, under the attentive care of the doctors and staff, who watch over his every breath. October 6, 2025Holoxan - new chemistry, new challenges
Dustin is undergoing another cycle of chemotherapy. The body reacts very hard. The drug, called Holoxan, administered this time, causes tremendous weakness, severe vomiting and malaise. Each day of therapy becomes a greater challenge that an increasingly exhausted body must meet. Doctors explain that only The coming weeks will show whether the therapy will have the desired effect. If the leg pain does not stop, it will mean that the treatment has not worked. However, if the pain stops, it will be a sign that the chemotherapy has found its target and stopped the progression of the disease. September 29, 2025Dramatic news from the hospital!
Dustin is currently undergoing his fourth chemotherapy treatment. Unfortunately, tests have brought alarming results. The tumor in his knee has grown larger and has already reached a size of 9.5 cm. The pain is getting worse every day, and unfortunately the prognosis is not optimistic. If it weren't for the metastasis to the lungs, doctors would have decided to amputate the leg to stop the progression of the disease.In this situation, such an operation is not possible. The only solution remains a change in the treatment regimen and the introduction of a new, stronger chemotherapy. On Sunday, Dustin will return home for a while to at least get a breather from the hospital walls for two weeks. Then he faces a return to the ward again and the start of a new treatment. It's in her all hope that she will stop the progression of the disease and give him one more chance in this unequal battle. September 08, 2025
The next day, a chest imaging test was performed, which revealed a dangerous complication. Dustin was diagnosed with a pneumothorax on the right side, requiring immediate intervention. The boy was urgently transported to Wrocław, where doctors inserted a decompression drain, enabling the lungs to function properly again and stabilizing breathing.
Fortunately, Dustin's condition stabilized enough that the drain could be removed. The pneumothorax began to subside, giving the family hope for a quick return home.
December 4, 2025
Dustin's mother wrote to us with words that say more than any comment could:
"It was a difficult experience for us, but Dustin endured it bravely. After a long wait, he came back from the operating room in good condition and is already smiling at me, my beloved son."
Dustin now faces a period of healing and gradual recovery after the surgery. He will soon begin one-day chemotherapy, and if all goes well, he will be able to return home, where the safety and tenderness of his mother awaits him.
On behalf of the family, we thank everyone who is beside them on this journey. Every thought, every word and every gesture of support is now of great importance and brings them the strength they so desperately need.
November 18, 2025
This is the next stage of treatment to stop the disease and give it a chance to improve.
Dustin feels pain in his side and leg, but despite his fatigue he still bravely endures each day.
In the hearts of his loved ones, as always, fear and hope are mixed.
Although this is another difficult experience, we all believe that this time the chemotherapy will work and bring the awaited relief.
October 21, 2025
Explore the history of
A simple fall the beginning of a drama
The beginning of June was a harbinger of the upcoming vacations. An inconspicuous fall is a fixture in the life of an active teenager. Seemingly harmless despite the pain and swelling in the knee - just an ordinary injury. Meanwhile, radiological examinations revealed an image that is turning from the ordinary category into a worrisome one. A CT scan, a biopsy in Warsaw and suddenly worrying turns into threatening.... The spoken words sound like a verdict: bone sarcoma - osteosarcoma
Daily life filled with treatment
Mid-July. Doctors at the Mother and Child Institute in Warsaw began immediate treatment. First the implantation of a vascular port, then chemotherapy. The red one - the stronger one and the yellow one, each bringing with it waves of nausea, abdominal, sacral and liver pain and rapid weight loss.
Dustin has lost six kilograms, and his body, still growing and frail, is struggling with increasing stress.
The schedule includes the next stages of treatment: three more cycles of chemotherapy, excision of the tumor from the knee and implantation of an endoprosthesis, and then lung surgery, where the disease has already managed to spread its metastases. After that, a long, demanding rehabilitation, the success of which will depend on every hour of exercise.
Chemotherapy robs him of his appetite, strength and the leftover energy needed for the next stages of treatment. Every day becomes an attempt to survive and salvage even a little strength. Dustin has a moderate disability certificate - he is visually impaired, and additional motor coordination disorders have meant that today he already moves in a wheelchair.
House divided into two worlds
In the hospital he is accompanied by his mother, who does not leave him for a moment. At home, his dad, brother, relatives and neighbors are waiting - a whole network of loved ones who try to carry the burden that has fallen on the family. Life is divided into the time between the hospital walls and brief returns to everyday life, in which, however, nothing is ordinary anymore.
A longed-for future
Dustin still dreams of a normal life, of going back to school, of a moment when he can think about things appropriate to his age instead of pain and medication. The disease tries to take all that away from him, but he doesn't relent. Each new dose of treatment, each new procedure, is a step toward what matters most - the future.
