Skull Base String Instrument! Help Izabela in this tough battle!

The Day the World Came Crashing Down

In May 2015, after what seemed like a common cold, Izabela began seeing double and experiencing severe dizziness. She was taken to the emergency room, where a CT scan revealed an alarming abnormality. She received her diagnosis on the ward, surrounded by doctors, and as she recalled, it was Mother’s Day. In an instant, her world came crashing down. She was diagnosed with a skull base chordoma, an extremely rare bone cancer.

A Decade of Relentless Struggle

Back in 2015, Izabela underwent her first tumor-removal surgery, which was exceptionally difficult because the tumor was located next to a major artery. The procedure resulted in serious complications and a long recovery. In 2020, the tumor recurred, which meant another surgery performed by a specialist and intensive proton therapy in Kraków—38 radiation sessions that Izabela found very difficult to endure. In the following years, she underwent further procedures, including a cerebral artery transplant. A chordoma is a treatment-resistant tumor that tends to regrow, so every subsequent surgery is a race against time.

Disease and Clinical Trials

Years of treatment have led to many serious complications. In 2022, Izabela suffered a stroke that irreversibly damaged her central field of vision. Radiation therapy affected her cerebral blood vessels, and other health issues have arisen; she must undergo follow-up examinations in Kraków and Wrocław several times a year. Despite this, Izabela has even participated in clinical trials, agreeing to let her case serve as a learning tool for future doctors—proof of how much good she is able to bring out of her own suffering.

Everyday life, which requires tremendous strength

Every day brings new challenges for Izabela: vision problems, dizziness, fatigue, pain, and memory difficulties resulting from her treatment. Sometimes she has to lie down immediately, no matter where she is. But Izabela doesn’t give up. The disease has taken a lot from her—including her sense of femininity when she had to shave her head—but she has worked through it, and every day she goes through life with her head held high, for her daughter’s sake.

The family that supports her

Izabela’s greatest source of support is her husband, who was by her side every other day during her hospital stays, taking care of her, bathing her, and feeding her, while her mother-in-law looked after their daughter. The hardest time was during radiation therapy, when Izabela had to leave for a few months in the midst of the pandemic and no one was allowed to visit her. It is her loved ones—her husband, his family, and above all, her daughter—who are her source of strength to keep fighting.

A Passion That Leaves Its Mark

Despite everything, Izabela continues to nurture what she loves—creating pencil sketches—and, thanks to the kindness of good people, she has already published two children’s stories. She dreams of writing another one. This is her way of leaving something beautiful behind and bringing joy to her youngest readers.

Let's help Izabela move forward

Izabela lives in Koszalin but receives treatment in Kraków and Wrocław, so the funds raised will go toward long-distance travel to her doctors’ offices, lodging, and transportation, as well as medications, private appointments and tests, and her day-to-day living expenses. Every donation provides her with real relief and greater peace of mind, allowing her to focus on what matters most: her treatment and being a mom to her daughter. After a decade of an incredibly brave fight, Izabela deserves not to have to bear all of this alone.