Drawing a Life Line

There is not any cardiac monitor in the surgical department of Dnepropetrovsk regional children’s hospital. One would hardly believe that in the 21st century a department can do without such an important device. And the reason is commonplace: there is no money. The little patients and their parents are asking you to help collect money for purchasing a cardiac monitor which is a vital thing in fighting against severe diseases!

Each of us is his own life’s master. But there is no argument that sometimes our life does not depend on us. A cancer child’s mother is unlikely to have dreamt of her child lying in a hospital cot, suffering terrible pain and losing hair after a chemotherapy course. But even under such unfavorable conditions this kid does not give up and his heart goes on drawing a life line on the monitor screen.

A cardiac monitor is a device for the continuous observation of cardiac function. It is used in many different cases. The monitor provides a visual display of the patient's heart rhythm and an alarm system may is set to identify abnormal rhythms or heart rates.

It is a vital device for children’s cancer units, as it monitors the child’s undergoing chemotherapy vital signs. This lets to react immediately on any changes in major organs functioning and prevent the ill effects of cancer treating medications.

There is not any cardiac monitor in the Dniepropetrovsk regional children’s hospital selective surgery unit (patient capacity of 40, including 10 beds for cancer patients)! A cardiac monitor costs 21,500 hryvnias. The “Rainbow Shine” DRCO have collected UAH 1,500 and UAH 20,000 is still left.

Each of us has at least once asked a question (though waiting for no answer), “Dear Lord, why do diseases, pain and suffering exist? Why do You tolerate it?” And the answer may be, because those who are healthy and indifferent to other people’s pain should be more Human? Let us be human, let us support the cancer children in their fight with the disease and enhance their chances of success!