Masha Wants to Live Without Fear of the Future

Diabetes, war, and the loss of her home have forever changed Maria’s life. Despite these challenges, she continues to study, dance, and dream. Today, she needs glucose monitoring sensors to react in time to dangerous fluctuations in her blood sugar levels.

In May 2018, Masha began to feel constantly tired, thirsty, and was rapidly losing weight. Her family doctor advised her to take a blood glucose test. The result was 14 mmol/L, while the normal level is up to 5 mmol/L. She was urgently admitted to the endocrinology department of a hospital in Dnipro and started on insulin therapy, which she still needs today.

The war brought another challenge. In the summer of 2022, due to constant shelling in Nikopol, the family was forced to leave their hometown. Maria went through several relocations and suffered a painful loss: her grandmother and grandfather passed away one after the other. For the past two years, she and her parents have been living in her grandmother’s house in the village of Volia, Nikopol District.

Despite everything, Masha remains active and determined. She has completed the eighth grade and especially enjoys English, algebra and geometry. In the past, she attended swimming lessons, an art studio, and acting classes. Today, she is passionate about hip-hop dancing and dreams of becoming a dance coach.

Another of her passions is travelling. Maria loves discovering new places, meeting interesting people, and creating memorable experiences.

Unfortunately, her diabetes has become more complicated due to diabetic polyneuropathy, which causes pain in her legs. The hormonal changes of adolescence make blood sugar management even more challenging.

For Masha, FreeStyle Libre 2 sensors provide much more than glucose monitoring, they offer a sense of safety. The sensors measure glucose levels every five minutes and alert her to dangerous changes, allowing timely action. This is especially important at night, when sugar spikes are easy to miss.

For several years now, we have been providing Masha with these sensors. Thanks to your support, the number of painful finger-prick tests has been reduced from fifteen to just one per day, while the risk of serious complications has significantly decreased.

We need to raise funds for a year’s supply of FreeStyle Libre 2 sensors for Masha. These devices will help her monitor her glucose levels around the clock and prevent severe diabetes-related complications, including damage to blood vessels, vision loss, and kidney failure.

Together, we can help Maria protect her health, pursue her dreams, and look to the future with confidence.