Every day matters

UPD: At the end of July 2026, Volodymyr’s condition deteriorated sharply. As the results of the genetic test were not yet available, the doctors were unable to prescribe a full course of treatment. His parents were therefore forced to make an urgent decision — not to wait for the fundraising campaign to be completed, but to borrow the necessary amount to pay for the test. Blood samples were taken at the G.LAB Company medical laboratory and sent to a laboratory in Germany. The test results are expected in approximately two months. It is this analysis that should help establish an accurate diagnosis and select an effective treatment.

At the same time, Volodymyr underwent further tests at the Institute of Immunology in Kyiv. There, he was diagnosed with a neuroinfection caused by herpesviruses types 6 and 7, and was prescribed temporary supportive therapy with the drug ‘Bioven’.

After just two vials of the medicine, the child’s condition improved: he regained his strength and energy. The doctors recommended continuing the treatment and undergoing two further courses of therapy — three vials of ‘Bioven’ (50 ml each) — until the results of the genetic testing are available.

Time for six-year-old Vova is measured in days. An unnamed illness is slowly taking away his movement, his words, his ability to live as he once did. A genetic test can help establish a diagnosis and determine the right treatment. There is no time to wait – we must act quickly!

Vova’s family are internally displaced from the Donetsk region. In April 2022, they had to leave their hometown of Oleksiievo-Druzhkivka and start life over in Dnipro. They lost everything: their home and belongings, and now live in a rented apartment. The mother devotes all her time to her son, and the father works at a service station.

The boy was born healthy. The only concern was a speech delay, so Vova attended a specialized kindergarten and worked with a speech therapist. But at the end of April 2025, everything changed suddenly.

At first, Volodymyr began to tire quickly and would literally fall asleep from exhaustion. Later, his left leg weakened, and it became difficult for him to maintain balance. Within a month, the boy could only move with support, and later weakness appeared in his arms as well. He also stopped speaking.

In July last year, doctors found a 5 cm cyst in his brain. It was removed in August, but the child’s condition continued to worsen. Now Vova cannot walk or stand on his own, his body is affected by spasticity. He can only eat pureed food he can hardly swallow.

Volodymyr has undergone numerous examinations and consultations with the doctors, including at Okhmatdyt, the best children hospital in Ukraine. However, a diagnosis has not yet been established.

According to the doctors, the only way to determine the cause of the boy’s rapid deterioration is to carry out whole-genome sequencing — a modern method of genetic diagnosis.

Unfortunately, the cost of the necessary treatment is beyond the family’s means. Vova’s condition continues to deteriorate; we cannot afford to waste any precious time. Please support Volodymyr with a donation, however small. Every hryvnia you give is a chance for Vova to live to see tomorrow.