Iron captivity

Andrii weighs 22 kg at the age of 11. Due to a rare neurodegenerative disease, the boy gradually stopped walking, sitting, talking, and swallowing food. Andrii constantly needs special food and hygiene products. It costs 20 350 UAH per month.

Mother's pregnancy was going well, but due to oxygen starvation of the baby, the doctors performed a caesarean section. The child developed normally, only he began to speak late.

At the age of three, Andrii suddenly stopped taking steps with his right foot, as if the muscles had weakened. Then he stopped walking on his own, and at the age of 5 he could not walk even with support. By the age of 8, Andrii gradually stopped talking, chewing and swallowing. Mother feeds the boy through a tube, but Aliona still tries to teach Andrii to drink from a bottle with a nipple.

Andrii is bedridden. As far as possible, he tries to facilitate self-care, rises and turns when necessary. The boy's faithful friend, the cat Motia, always sleeps side by side, licks his face and hands.

For many years, attempts to figure out what is the cause of the disease did not give any result. Just doctors of  the Kiev Institute of Neurosurgery were able to determine the diagnosis of Andrii, Hallervorden-Spatz disease, a hereditary degenerative disease of the nervous system, which is accompanied by iron deposition in the basal cells of the brain. Andrii is the only patient with this disease in the Dnipropetrovsk oblast.

Protein-energy malnutrition further complicated the situation: at 11 years old, the child weighs only 22 kg. The doctor prescribed to eat special food on a regular basis. For a month, Andrii needs 20 cans Resource Junior and 20 cans of Peptamen Junior. The total cost of nutrition for a month is UAH 18 400. Andrii constantly uses Haggis No 6 diapers. 130 pieces worth 1 950 UAH are spent per month. Nutrition and diapers for 4 months cost 81 400 UAH.

Aliona is raising her only son alone: the father does not take any part in the life of the child, he only occasionally calls to find out about his health. Payment for special meals and diapers is too much for Aliona, so she request to us for support. Let's provide Andrii with nutrition and hygiene products.