Aplastic anemia❗Oliwia's battle with a disease written in her blood❗

Ten years of vigilance

Oliwia was born healthy. With a score of ten on the Apgar scale, she was a strong newborn, and nothing foreshadowed a difficult road ahead. A month later, she developed an ear infection. The hospitalization in Nowa Sól was supposed to be short, the treatment routine, and the return home quick and obvious. It was then that standard tests began to indicate that the problem was not just an infection. The family was referred to Wrocław, to the pediatric hematology and oncology ward. There, the first bone marrow trepanobiopsy was performed. It was the first moment when medicine stopped providing simple answers.

Then came the next stages

Hospitalization at the Children's Health Center in Warsaw, Immunology Clinic, nutrition and metabolic diseases ward. Tests, consultations, long corridors, and questions that did not yet have a name but already caused fear. They returned from Warsaw to Przylądek Nadziei in Wrocław. There, she was diagnosed with MDS. From that moment on, Oliwia's blood was under constant monitoring. For ten years, the results remained normal. Ten years of vigilance, which became part of everyday life, but allowed them to live relatively peacefully.

The silence is broken

Olivia grew up. She went to school and developed her passions. She was creative, sensitive, and full of energy. Her illness existed somewhere in the background, recorded in her medical records, but not in her everyday life. Until the moment came when the silence ended.

Alarm in blood test results

In 2025, her condition began to deteriorate. In May, Oliwia was admitted to a hospital in Zielona Góra due to thrombocytopenia. Intensive diagnostics began. She underwent cardiological, diabetological, gastroenterological, and ophthalmological consultations. Each subsequent test brought more anxiety than answers.

The collected results led to the decision to refer Oliwia back to Przylądek Nadziei in Wrocław, this time for genetic testing. There was one goal: to check whether a bone marrow transplant would be possible. That was the moment when fear returned in full force.

Diseases recorded in the blood

Aplastic anemia was diagnosed. This is a disease in which the bone marrow stops producing blood cells properly. The body loses its ability to regenerate, and every day becomes a balancing act between stability and real danger.

An additional burden is Schwachman-Diamond syndrome. This is a rare genetic disorder that affects the functioning of the bone marrow, the immune system, and the entire body. It is a diagnosis that complicates treatment, limits therapeutic options, and requires extreme caution in every subsequent decision.

Hope that carries the weight

During genetic testing, it turned out that a compatible bone marrow donor could be found within the family. Oliwia's genetic twin is her older brother. This is a huge opportunity, but also the beginning of a new phase full of uncertainty.

Oliwia is now awaiting further diagnosis. This will determine whether a bone marrow transplant will be necessary or whether another form of treatment can be implemented. Either option means long-term treatment and a huge burden for the child and the whole family.

Everyday life in a state of alertness

Oliwia's illness has affected everyone. Frequent hospitalizations, visits to specialists, and the need to care for her other siblings mean that neither of her parents can work. The hardest part is the separation. Staying in the hospital means being separated from her siblings, including her youngest sister Dorotka, who misses her sister and mother, not yet understanding why the illness is taking away their time together.

Anxiety, tension, and constant fear for Oliwia's future accompany this family every day. Despite this, they stick together. They support each other and try to protect their children from excessive fear, even though they themselves often have to deal with emotions that are difficult to bear.