Nijmegen syndrome❗ Lymphoma❗ Chemotherapy❗ And Marysia is only five years old

Between prohibition and the desire for ordinariness

From an early age, Marysia lived with a diagnosis that invisibly cast a shadow over her daily life. Nijmegen syndrome is a very rare disorder that destroys immunity and makes you live in caution. When the girl was two and a half years old, doctors recommended isolation. The parents, however, wanting a normal life for their daughter, decided to send their child to kindergarten. They did not want her to grow up alone - away from her peers.

A seasonal infection that hasn't gone away

In the beginning, everything went mildly. When other children got sick, Marysia only caught a runny nose. Until January 2025, when she began complaining of a sore throat after returning from kindergarten. Symptoms pointed to tonsillitis. Without CRP tests or a swab, an antibiotic was prescribed. After another visit and more medication, Marysia began vomiting. A fever appeared. One day she simply... fell asleep while playing. The mother's heart felt that something disturbing was happening to her child.

The hospital, the growth and the first diagnosis

The parents, first took Marysia to a hospital emergency room, then to a hospital on Koszarowa Street in Wroclaw, where immunology specialists knew Marysia well. They were only supposed to stay one day - they stayed longer. After three days of hospitalization, a growth appeared on the girl's tongue.

The team of doctors ordered a biopsy and an MRI. After receiving the results, Marysia was referred to the "Cape of Hope" hematology clinic.
The biopsy result indicated the presence of Epstein-Barr virus. Marysia was given steroids and immunotherapy. The virus disappeared, but only for a while. After the drugs were discontinued, the growth immediately returned.

Type B lymphoma and the treatment that lasts

Another biopsy and MRI brought the correct diagnosis: B-cell lymphoma. Marysia began chemotherapy. Since February, she has been in Cape Hope almost continuously. She has had only one break - 10 days at home. Today she is in remission. A compatible donor has been found. A bone marrow transplant is scheduled for August 20.

Body too small for such a big fight

Marysia is only five and a half years old, 102 centimeters tall and weighs only 12.5 kilograms. For the first three months in the hospital, she was fed through a probe. Her body is emaciated - not only by the disease, but also by Nijmegen's syndrome, which constantly reduces immunity.
Marysia has to take immunoglobulin to be able to go through treatment without additional danger.