OSTEOSARCOMA❗17-year-old Kacper is battling a malignant bone tumor❗

At first, there was just pain in my leg

Last November, Kacper began to feel pain in his right leg, near the fibula. At first, it wasn’t severe. It didn’t interfere with his daily activities, so the teenager’s life continued as usual. School, sports, hanging out with friends.
Over time, however, the pain began to intensify. A visit to the family doctor and a referral to a surgeon were meant to be just a precaution. The X-ray ordered also seemed like a formality. The image of the bone in the X-ray, however, dispelled any illusions.
That very same day, Kacper’s mother contacted a professor at a Warsaw medical center. A moment later, the phone rang with a brief, firm message.
“Please pack your things and come immediately.”

Diagnosis

On January 22, a biopsy was performed at the Mother and Child Institute in Warsaw. The results came back a week later. The diagnosis was clear: a malignant bone tumor—osteosarcoma.
After hearing the diagnosis, everything happened very quickly. Kacper was admitted to the Oncology Ward at the Mother and Child Institute in Warsaw, where he began chemotherapy in early February. A 500-kilometer one-way trip separated him from his home, where he could rest between treatments.

During one of those moments when Kacper’s body could take a break from chemotherapy, another message arrived . His test results had worsened.
In early April, he was admitted to the “Przylądek Nadziei” Pediatric Oncology Clinic in Wrocław. Doctors are working to stabilize his platelet count and reduce the inflammation in his body so that further treatment can proceed.

Operation

Kacper faces another difficult challenge. The doctors are planning surgery to remove his fibula. The outcome of the surgery will determine his further treatment and the number of subsequent rounds of chemotherapy.

A difficult reality

His mom is always by his side. She holds Kacper’s hand when things get tough. His dad and nine-year-old Fabian stayed behind at their home in Kudowa. His dad works as a paramedic and , together with his grandmother , takes care of his younger son. Fabian misses his mom and older brother very much. He is under the care of a psychologist who is helping him understand and come to terms with the situation that so suddenly changed the lives of the entire family.

Each family member copes with Kacper’s illness in their own way. They stick together despite the distance between them.

Tough times

Kacper has always been a boy full of energy. Sports were a natural part of his life—soccer, volleyball, and workouts at the gym. No one expected that his body would become the battleground for such a serious illness.

The hardest part is waiting

The family is trying to stay calm and hopeful, even though uncertainty accompanies them every day. The questions remain the same day after day: Will the surgery be successful? How will his body react to the next stages of treatment? How long will this journey take? On top of that, there are the exhausting trips back and forth between Kudowa, Warsaw, and Wrocław.
Every gesture counts on this journey. Kacper’s treatment is a long and demanding journey. In this situation, any help that allows the family to focus on their son’s health is a tremendous support.