Alternative solutions...

Thank you so much for all the initiatives, events, and kind words about Antosia. Thanks to you, we believe that the path we have chosen will succeed and is the right one. You are very important on this journey of ours, because after all, we cannot make it without you.

Decyzja o leczeniu w USA nie była prosta, ale nam jako Rodzicom wydała się najwłaściwsza. Niektórzy z Was są z nami od początku i wiedzą o naszych wzlotach i upadkach, nim 1go października postanowiliśmy, że Antosia będzie operowana w Stanach Zjednoczonych.

In Poland, we visited five different orthopedic centers and saw five different specialists… We went to all these appointments privately… We were prepared to spend every single penny just to help our daughter… just to get her on her feet. At the same time, we also consulted hand surgeons about her hand. Everywhere we went, we heard that the case was difficult. In their practice, the doctors had encountered children with a missing fibula, but usually in only one leg. None of the doctors had ever faced such a complex case.

A lack of fibulas in both legs, deformed and bowed tibias, severe deficiencies in her feet… On top of that, the issue with her hand. We were slowly coming to terms with the idea that the best solution for our child would be foot amputation at the level of 1/3 of the lower leg… We were coming to terms with this decision, while on the other hand, we never lost hope.

In June, Antosia underwent her first surgical procedure, which unfortunately brought no results. We started looking for help in Europe and around the world, sending emails with Antosia’s medical records… That is how we found Dr. Paley.

Dr. Paley is not a miracle worker. He is simply a very good specialist in his field, an honorary member of the Polish Orthopaedic Society. In his career, he has treated over 1,400 cases of children with fibular hemimelia, some of which were even more difficult than Antosia’s case. He qualified only two cases for amputation. However, those were much more severe cases than Antosia’s. The main discouraging factor in pursuing treatment in the United States is, of course, the funding…

The cost of Antosia’s treatment has been estimated at approximately 1 million PLN. We believe that the decision we made will prove to be the right one.

From time to time, the topic of the NFZ comes up… That they should fund it because such surgeries are not performed in Poland. Easy to say. We only wish it were so. How much easier would life be then?

We would calmly count down the days to the surgery, working, raising Antosia, and praying for the operation’s success. Perhaps then we would only be asking for prayers and faith… But as it is, unfortunately, there is still the financial aspect…

It is hurtful to read comments suggesting that we do not care about the people donating money, and that the surgery on her legs and hand will be funded by the NFZ… I hope that if a Santa Claus figure were to come and fund all of Antosia’s surgeries (a dream), we would decide together on how to use the money—meaning, passing it on to other children in need.

On Facebook and on the blog we run, we would very much like to avoid insulting Polish doctors (many of whom are outstanding specialists and deserve respect), the system, the state, and the NFZ. We run this blog and fan page to focus mainly on what we can do and how to do it best with the help of people who unite with us, cheer us on, and support us!

Thank you for everything! You are amazing!

Antosia’s Parents