It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to Fran…
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It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to Franciszek
The past two months have taught us more than we were prepared to accept. They have shown how quickly ordinary everyday life can lose its familiar shape. After seven weeks in the hospital, we were allowed to leave. A long-awaited week at home.We called it a “vacation,” though it quickly became clear just how ill-suited that word was to our reality. That moment of relief was followed by better results and the most important news for us—the tumor is shrinking. The road to this point, however, had been difficult. The departure date had been postponed several times.
Every time there was a glimmer of hope, we heard: "Not today." A week at home quickly made it clear that this wasn't a vacation. Without doctors and nurses, the burden becomes even more acute. We have to readjust to everyday life and remember that Franio is still a cancer patient.
Toward the end of his stay, his condition began to deteriorate. He was growing weaker, refusing to eat, and barely sleeping. After returning to the hospital on the second day of his next round of chemotherapy, Franio was moaning and breathing with obvious difficulty, despite the painkillers.
At some point, As he lay on his stomach, his lips and face began to turn blue. The room was immediately filled with doctors. The struggle to increase blood oxygen levels, tests, an X-ray, and then a quick the decision to perform a high-risk procedure—the insertion of a lung drain. It turned out that over 350 ml of fluid had accumulated there.
After the procedure, Franio fell asleep peacefully. His breathing was steady. However, he was transferred to the intensive care unit. This experience has taught us to live with a sense of readiness. Not in constant fear, but with an awareness of what we’re up against. We still don't have the full diagnosis. The samples have been sent to Germany. We're waiting... March 27, 2026
Explore the history of
Hemangioma, but to be monitored
Franciszek was born on October 21, 2025. He was eagerly awaited, tiny, calm. His first cry, his first glances, his first moments, which were to form a normal story about the beginning of life . A skin change was visible on his shoulder blade. It was classified as a hemangioma. His parents were told that observation and a check-up in a few months would suffice. No rush. No alarm. No urgency.
In November, however, the change began to grow. Concern arose. An ultrasound scan was performed. The results did not clearly indicate anything serious, but further consultation was recommended. The parents followed their intuition. They were not satisfied with vague answers. They took the next step.
The day before Christmas Eve
On December 23, Franek was examined by a professor of surgery. A decision was made to perform cardiological tests to confirm the possibility of starting treatment with propranolol. There was still talk of a hemangioma. Still, no one uttered the one word that no one wants to hear.
A week later, on December 30, the change began to bleed.
His parents didn't wait. They drove him to the emergency room. Franek was immediately referred to the surgery ward. The wound required urgent treatment. They spent New Year's Eve and the following days at the hospital on Fieldorfa Street in Wrocław. Cardiological tests were performed outside the ward, and Franek returned to the hospital on the same day. There , treatment with propranolol was started.
They welcomed the New Year within the hospital walls, while closely monitoring their child. They checked how his body was responding to the medication, changed the dressing on the bleeding lesion every day, and watched to see if the treatment was causing any side effects. The questions remained unanswered.
The treatment did not produce a response.
On January 9, Franek was discharged from the hospital with a recommendation for an urgent check-up on January 13. However, his parents' vigilance did not allow for any relief. During the check-up, the professor immediately noticed a lack of response to the treatment. The decision was clear. Immediate hospitalization.
Since January 14, Franek has been in the hospital continuously. There was no delay. A biopsy was performed on January 15. Four days later, standing by the bed of their three-month-old baby, the parents heard the diagnosis: sarcoma. A malignant tumor of the connective tissue and soft tissue of the chest.
Three-month oncology patient
Since then, Franek has been staying at Przylądek Nadziei (Cape of Hope) in Wrocław. He has already undergone an ultrasound scan, two MRIs, and a bone marrow biopsy. He has had two blood transfusions due to low hemoglobin. A catheter. A femoral puncture. Six general anesthetics.
Six anesthetics in three months of life. A tiny body burdened with chemotherapy, antibiotics, and steroids. Procedures that should not affect an infant became part of his everyday life.
Currently, the diagnosis of sarcoma is not yet fully determined. Some types of cancer have been ruled out, but specialized genetic testing is still ongoing. Samples have been sent to Łódź, and the final diagnosis is expected within the next two weeks. Only then will it be possible to implement targeted treatment tailored to the specific type of disease.
At the moment , Franek is receiving chemotherapy to stop the growth of tumors. Unfortunately, metastases to the lymph nodes under his arm have also been detected. The current treatment is helping and is intended to keep the disease under control until a more precise therapy can be used.
Family at the crib
Frania's mother is on maternity leave and practically never leaves the hospital. Her father has taken time off work to be close to her. Her grandparents support the family as much as their strength and daily routine allow. Every day is a logistical challenge, filled with fatigue and anxiety that does not disappear even when the child is asleep.
There is also Łucja. Frania's older sister. She is three and a half years old. She visits her mother and brother every day. She is brave, even though no one teaches three-year-olds how to cope with hospital rooms and the sight of a baby connected to machines.
Everyday life that overwhelms
The disease itself is a burden that is difficult to bear. It is even more difficult to watch your own child change under the influence of treatment. How they react to chemotherapy and steroids, how they cry with each injection. This is everyday life, in which nothing is natural. There is vigilance, fear, and hope that their tiny body will be able to bear it all and not stop fighting.
Help
We are raising funds for non-refundable medications, rehabilitation, and supplements, which are essential for Franio's continued treatment. We ask for your support for a three-month-old baby who became an oncology patient too early, and for his parents, who try every day to piece together the remnants of normality in a reality that offers no respite.
