Let's Help Natasha Overcome the Illness

The 11-year-old Natasha has been fighting her illness for her whole life. Only when she turned eight, the doctors were able to establish the exact diagnosis: hereditary disaggregative thrombocytopathy. But misfortune doesn’t come alone: not long ago Natalia was also diagnosed with hepatitis C! She needs money for expensive medicines to fight hepatitis, and a single package of such medicines cost almost 9,000 UAH (approx. USD 1,126)!

Although Natasha was a very sick child, she was five months when her parents heard her first words. And at seven months the girl made her first steps on her own. Natalia was greatly interested in everything new, she was a curious girl. She attended the kindergarten readily, although she was often under treatment. In 2009, time came for Natalia to go to school. The girl attended classes eagerly, but stopped going to school and communicate with friends due to her illness – because of frequent nasal hemorrhages, Natasha attended school just for 14 days.

In February 2010, a diagnosis was established at Lviv Institute of Blood Pathology and Transfusion Medicine: hereditary disaggregative thrombocytopathy. For three years, the girl received supportive therapy. And hope seemed to be near: a medicine promising to help Natasha appeared. And then a new misfortune came: the child was diagnosed with hepatitis C.

Now, she needs money to buy Pegintron. A single package of this drug costs almost 9,000 UAH. The family doesn't have sufficient funds for the treatment – they spent all their savings, because the child has been under treatment since her birth. We, Natalia's parents, and the entire family ask you to help their only child. Please help us!

Name: Natalia Mikhalchuk, 11 years old

Town: Sniatyn District, Ivano-Frankivsk Region

Diagnosis: hereditary disaggregative thrombocytopathy, hepatitis C