A glimmer of hope

The year 2013 will be an exceptional year for us… It started very auspiciously, so we have a quiet hope that it will end even better.

January is a month of good news. It is a month (as we call it) of hope.

• an unimaginable number of concerts, matches: football, volleyball, competitions, fitness marathons, and other charity events for Antosia, resulting in a rapid increase of funds in Antosia’s account at the Foundation
• a huge donation… which we would have never expected
• and most importantly… a glimmer of hope for funding the first surgery from the NFZ – the possibility of funding about 550,000 PLN (excluding the costs of hand treatment, the second and third limb lengthening surgeries, rehabilitation, and the stay in the USA). The application, written by a doctor with a habilitation degree, has been submitted to the NFZ. Now it must be reviewed by the provincial consultant in orthopedics, then the national consultant, lawyers, and only then will the final decision be made by the NFZ… The entire procedure may take about 2 months, so we hope that on Antosia’s first birthday we will all breathe a sigh of relief, and we will be able to dream of family walks together (on her own little legs).

We know that this glimmer of hope may turn out to be illusory… but we are glad that it has at least appeared. We also know that this single surgery will not make all of Antosia’s defects and problems disappear. Hand surgery, at least twice, very painful lengthening of the lower legs – the cost of each being $100,000, and daily rehabilitation are unimaginable costs that we will probably struggle with for the rest of our lives… but on the other hand, that is what we have this life for, to make the best of it and do everything in our power to make things as easy as possible for our little one in this life of hers, which has had such a difficult start.