28.12.2007 On December 27, the traditional New Year celebrations took place at the hospital. Many of our patients have to spend the New Year at the hospital, far away from home; for some children from the Departments of Oncohematology or Kidney Transplantation, the last New Year was just the same... We wanted them to feel the holiday, its festive mood. And we hope that we have succeeded!
We whole-heartedly thank everyone who helped in organizing this event.

25.12.2007 Some news about orphan patients of our hospital.
After a successful surgery, Elvira A. was discharged from the Department of Urology. We will have to wait two years for her next visit to our hospital. During the three months at the hospital, Elvira has grown up a lot. It was very sad for us to part with this smart and charming girl. We hope that this nice kid will find a new and loving family.
A boy loved by everybody, Ilya K. from Ukhta (Komi Republic) has arrived at the Department of Microsurgery for a follow-up operation. We are happy to see him again.

24.12.2007 Vitalik Sotnikov is back from Germany. The boy and his mother are extremely pleased with the results of the second surgery. Now it is easy for Vitalik to eat all by himself. More than fifty percent of the required work has already been completed. Vitalik will have another surgery at the end of January. Let us wish him all the best in the coming New Year.

20.12.2007 Dear friends, doctor A.V. Lopatin, who heads the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, has asked our Foundation for help. The department is now being redecorated and refurnished (at last!), soon this work will be completed, and purchase of equipment becomes especially necessary. The youngest patients of this department need ten specialized beds. Furniture and household appliances are needed for the kitchen. The total required sum is about 300,000 roubles ($12,945). We hope that you will help.

19.12.2007 Some news about orphan patients of our hospital.
Alesha K. from the Ivanovo region has arrived for follow-up treatment at the Department of Psychoneurology-2. Since his last discharge from hospital, Alesha has become much more grown-up, patient and calm.
Charming little Zhenya M. from Cheboksary (Chuvashia) has been discharged from the Department of Endocrinology.
Pasha T-v from the Ivanovo region and Kolya B. from Kolomna (Moscow region) have also been discharged. Both spent six months in the same ward, both underwent complicated multistage surgical treatment, both have several more surgeries to come. Their admission for follow-up treatment is planned for August or September 2008.

17.12.2007 We whole-heartedly thank Andrei Nikishov, who paid for the Dospekhi (Armor) orthopedic system to be manufactured for Sasha Mogir. Now Sasha can start learning to walk. Let us wish all the best to the boy!

* * *

The mothers of small children from the House of Hope cottage thank Kirill and Sergei, who quickly responded to our request and bought two cribs and baby monitors. Now it will be much easier to take care of the babies, because otherwise no mother could leave a small child unattended even for a minute.

13.12.2007 Two orphans from the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery have been discharged. Nastya R. has undergone her second surgery, and Serezha B-v has successfully completed the next stage of his treatment.

* * *

The total sum spent by the Regional Public Charity Foundation for buying medications, equipment, consumables, paying for examinations and medical services in November 2007 was 2,251,098 roubles ($91,882). Continued...

We whole-heartedly thank private sponsors who supported patients of our hospital in November:
Vladimir and Maxim, who regularly help us, bought medications for the Department of Oncology: Riboxinum, Potassium Chloride, Cosmegen, Baralgin, Gentamicin, Prednisolon, Tavegyl, Farmorubicin, Cefazolin Sandoz worth a total of 82,995.20 roubles ($3388):
Roman bought Colistin (powder for inhalations, N 230) worth 61,782.60 roubles ($2522) for patients from the Department of Medical Genetics;
Alexander handed 8000 euro for examination of Maxim Zhitinev in Germany.

12.12.2007 The Medexport company has sent presents to the smallest patients of our hospital, aged from 0 to 3 years. They have received dispenser nipples for administration of medications and feeding bottles worth a total of 1,150,699 roubles ($46,967). These presents were distributed among 11 departments of the Russian Children's Clinical Hospital (Abdominal Surgery, Endocrinology, Psychoneurology, Immunology, Medical Genetics, Dermatology, Gastroenterology, Oncology, Neurosurgery, General Hematology, Maxillofacial Surgery) where the number of small children among the patients is especially large. The doctors and mothers are whole-heartedly grateful for this help.

11.12.2007 Matvei Korzh, a former patient of the Department of Oncohematology-16, has come for a check-up. He is serious, active, with excellent appetite. We hope that the doctors will be satisfied with his condition as well.

* * *

Katya M. has arrived for follow-up treatment at the Department of Nephrology.

10.12.2007 On December 2, Vitalik Sotnikov underwent a nine-hour surgery in Germany. Today he will be transferred back to his ward from the intensive care unit. The physicians are satisfied with the results of the surgery. We are happy for the boy and looking forward to his return to Moscow.

* * *

Two more children from the Department of Medical Genetics (cystic fibrosis) need help.
The mother of little Valya Mukhina (born 2006) asks for urgent help in buying a Pari Turbo Boy inhaler worth 9180 roubles ($375). Irina, the girl's mother, raises her all alone; their only source of income is Valya's disability pension, and they cannot buy the device without your help. Also, Vanya Katsarenko needs a Pari Master Boy inhaler worth 14,380 roubles ($587).

* * *

The mothers of babies living in the House of Hope cottage urgently need two feeding chairs, two cribs, and baby monitors.

9.12.2007 Vladlena Vigul died today. Last week, her condition suddenly deteriorated, and she spent her last days at the Intensive Care Department. In spite of the doctor's efforts, it proved impossible to save the girl. We thank everybody who tried to help her. The money transferred for her benefit will be given to some other child with cystic fibrosis who will need our help in buying an oxygen concentrator.

8.12.2007 News about the orphan patients of our hospital.
The girls from Elatma have been discharged. Nastya V. had a successful eye surgery, and Yulia Z. received treatment at the Infectious Department.
Margarita B-va from the Vladimir region has come to the Thoracic Department for a check-up to evaluate the results of her June surgery.
Ruslan S. has been admitted to the Department of Microvascular Surgery for a follow-up operation.
Kolya B. has undergone the next surgery at the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery.

* * *

We thank Dmitri for bringing a lot of tasty and healthy food for the orphan patients of our hospital.

7.12.2007 Today, our patients watched a muppet show based on a Russian folk tale. The funny show took place at the hospital church. We thank Yana, the actress who arranged this festive event just before the seasonal holidays.

3.12.2007 We have received tragic news from the parents of Nastya Kuzmina. The girl died on December 1. She had a recurrence of the tumor, and medicine could not help her any more.

27.11.2007 Vladlena Vigul urgently needs an oxygen concentrator. The girl has severe form of cystic fibrosis.

26.11.2007 Some news about our patients receiving treatment in Germany. Maxim Zhitinev has returned from Munich after all preliminary examinations and consultations. There is still no final decision about the surgery, but probably the German surgeons will perform plastic reconstruction of the left eyelid using a skin flap on a vascular pedicle through microvascular techniques. The approximate cost of the surgery is 20,000 euro.
And Vitalik Sotnikov will go to Germany on December 2 for the second stage of reconstructive surgery. Let us wish good luck to him.

20.11.2007 Some news about orphans at our hospital.
Instead of children who have already been discharged from hospital, there are two new patients from the town of Elatma, Ryazan region. Zhenya V. (6 y.o.) is at the Department of Ophthalmology; her surgery will take place on Thursday. Yulia Z. (7 y.o.) is at the Infectious Department.
At the Department of General Endocrinology, there is also a new girl: Zhenya M. (4 years old) from the city of Cheboksary on the Volga. The kid is charming, sociable, and very smart, more intellectually developed than most other children of her age. She is accompanied by a nurse from her orphanage. The girl is everybody's favorite at her institution, and the staff sincerely hopes that she will find a new mother very soon.
Another kid admitted to the same department is from the Sverdlovsk region; his name is Zhenya O., and he is also accompanied by a nurse. The boy, aged 2 years 4 months, is just irresistable and so active!
Nastya R. from Orel (3 y.o.) has arrived for follow-up surgery at the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery.

19.11.2007 We have to tell you some sad news. Little Dima Sergienko died last Thursday. The severe treatment was too much for the little boy's organism. Earlier, we lost Artem Chumakov. In spite of the doctors' efforts, his illness persisted. The boy spent his last months at home. Vitalii Ezhov had a relapse. The boy and his mother decided to go home: the treatment is too difficult and painful, and the chances are next to zero. Anton Drobov also has a relapse after marrow transplantation, and the prognosis is dismal. Please pray for these children and their relatives.

17.11.2007 The total sum spent by the Regional Public Charity Foundation for Seriously ill and Abandoned Children for purchasing medications and equipment and paying for examinations and medical services in October 2007 was 1,669,152 roubles ($68,130). Continued...

* * *

Some news about orphans at our hospital.
Little Polina B. has had her surgery. She has already left the hospital and will arrive for follow-up treatment in May 2008.
Children from the Ryazan region have also been discharged from hospital. Zhenya, Valya, and Nadya from the Department of Ophthalmology have undergone successful surgeries for strabismus. Masha has had a complete examination at the Department of Gynecology; fortunately, most of her diagnoses have not been confirmed. The girl will come to the hospital again a year later.

12.11.2007 We have completed the fundraising for Kristina Kamardina and Sergei Stepanenkov. Now the entire sum for making ortheses have been raised. Thank you for your help.

11.11.2007 The adminstration of VTB Bank has transferred 2,496,000 roubles (about $100,000) for purchasing equipment for diagnosis and treatment of patients at oncohematological departments. On November 7, within the framework of its "World without Tears" charity program, the bank gave a unique present to our hospital: Processor VP 2000 device for the clinico-cytological laboratory and B. Braun Space system for the Department of Oncohematology and Chemotherapy.
VP 2000 Processor is an instrument that allows the doctors to determine the exact type of a malignant neoplasm, to learn the precise diagnosis and to prescribe efficient treatment immediately after a patient is admitted to the hospital.
The B. Braun Space system is a new standard for infusion therapy technologies.
Within the framework of this event, a round table on pediatric oncohematology took place at the conference hall of our hospital. And then there were some celebrations for the children. Each small patient of our hospital received his or her own tiny present from VTB Bank.
It is not the first time that this bank helps our hospital in purchasing expensive equipment. A year ago, it transferred money for purchasing a universal endoscopic microsurgical set for the Departments of Ophthalmology, Otolaryngology, and Center for Vascular, Reconstructive, and Plastic Surgery.

10.11.2007 Some news about orphan patients of the Russian Children's Clinical Hospital.
Ilya I. has been discharged again. The physicians are satisfied with his condition and expecting him to arrive for the next check-up three months later. Lyuda I. and Dima L. have also left the hospital. Sergei B. has arrived for follow-up treatment.

9.11.2007 We thank the staff of the school at the German Embassy in Moscow. They have paid the entire remaining sum for Vanya Lishtakov's oxygen concentrator. The device will be delivered to the hospital in the nearest few days. Now the only remaining problem is to transport it to Vanya's far-away village in the Far East.

1.11.2007 Ivan (Vanya) Lishtakov has received urgent antibiotic therapy. His condition was comparatively stabilized, and he was discharged from hospital: many new children arrive at the Department of Medical Genetics in grave condition, and there is a shortage of beds. But, after this exacerbation, breathing with oxygen-enriched air is vitally necessary for Vanya. Now he is at home, drawing his favorite landscapes. Vanya lives near the Amur river and often draws its picturesque banks. But the next exacerbation will take place sooner or later. And Vanya will just die of respiratory insufficiency without an oxygen concentrator.
During the last six weeks, less than 7000 roubles ($275) has been transferred for Vanya. And an oxygen concentrator costs over $2000...

31.10.2007 We are completing the fundraising for the treatment of two children: Ksenia Lisinskaya and Angelina Voznyuk.
Finstroi Co. has paid for the entire amount of Ampholip required for Ksenia's treatment. So far the therapy is proceeding as planned: 6 cycles are over, and then there will be chemotherapy for two more months, followed by radiation therapy. The treatment will be long, but Ksenia is optimistic and courageous. She studies at school, in spite of the illness. Her wonderful mother Valentina always supports the girl. Let us wish them good luck!
Physicians from the Department of Oncology decided that a total endoprosthesis is not appropriate in Angelina Voznyuk's case. Unfortunately, the girl's leg will be amputated. The money already raised will be used to buy prostheses. Angelina will need several prostheses, since she will grow and the prosthesis must also "grow" together with her.

30.10.2007 Milena L-na and Vitalik Sotnikov are back from Germany.
Milena has completed her therapy at the Foeldi clinic. Special treatment (drainage and massage) has reduced the volume of fluid in her affected leg by 4 liters! According to the results of examinations, the physicians decided that surgery is not necessary so far. But regular courses of conservative treatment will be required.
Milena is glad to be at her "home" again, at the House of Hope. She felt really homesick in Germany during the last days.
German physicians are planning two more surgeries for Vitalik Sotnikov. The next one is to take place at the beginning of December. During the remaining month, Vitalik must train his mouth as much as possible. He can already eat by himself. But the mobility of the lower jaw is still insufficient, and the boy will have to work hard to get prepared for the next stages of surgical treatment.
The first surgery cost about 15,000 euro, and the second surgery will cost approximately the same sum. If everything goes right, the third surgery will follow. So we continue the fundraising for Vitalik's treatment.
In the middle of November, another patient of our hospital, Maxim Zhitinev, will also go to Munich for a medical consultation.

* * *

We thank private sponsors who provided significant help to patients of our hospital in October:
Vladimir bought Amicacin sulfate, Vifend, and Sulperason worth a total of 39,694.58 roubles ($1557) for the Department of Oncology;
Maxim bought Carniten, Neoton, Pentaglobin, and Cernevit worth a total of 39,627.11 roubles ($1554) for the Department of Abdominal Surgery;
Roman bought Farmorubicin, Holoxan, and Eprex worth a total of 61,587.31 roubles ($2415) for the Department of Oncology;
Elena transferred 378,887 roubles ($14,858) for Andrei Trofimov's prosthesis;
Artem paid $10,000 for Maxim Zhitinev's examination in Germany.

29.10.2007 Following the consultations provided by a visiting team of our physicians in the Ryazan region, four children arrived at the hospital from the Elatma orphanage. Three of them are not getting prepared for surgery at the Department of Ophthalmology. They are Zhenya M., aged 6; Valya R., aged 7, and Nadya P., aged 8. The girl admitted to the Department of Gynecology is Masha S., aged 8.

After all the necessary examinations, Polina Kh. was discharged for further recovery.

25.10.2007 News about the orphan patients.
Two girls, both named Polina, were admitted to the Department of Neurosurgery. Polina B., 7 months old, is a new girl from Kamchatka [Far East], and for Polina Kh., a girl of 18 months from the Tver region, it is the second visit to our hospital.
Ilya I. from the town of Velikie Luki came for to the Department of Oncohematology-27 for a check-up. The boy is looking fine, and we hope that the doctors will not find anything undesirable in his condition either.
Successful plastic surgeries have been performed for Kolya B. (separation of fingers) and Sasha K. (another plastic surgery of his face).

23.10.2007 The hospital again needs our help in buying state-of-the-art microsurgical equipment.
"Physicians of the Center for Plastic, Microvascular, and Reconstructive Surgery (Russian Children's Clinical Hospital) need a Wavetronic 5000 digital radiosurgical apparatus (Loktal Ltd.).
This apparatus has been tested at the Russian Children's Clinical Hospital since July 2007. It combines the functions of a coagulator and a radio-frequency scalpel. It can also work in pulse mode. Using this device, we have already performed over 50 surgical interventions: removal of papillomas, fibromas, angiofibromas, condylomas, pigmented nevi, hemangiomas, and telangiectasias. The apparatus has been successfully used in plastic surgery, otolaryngology, vascular surgery, gynecology, microsurgery, and maxillofacial surgery.
The use of this device speeds up the surgery, which means that a child will spend less time under general anesthesia. In addition, the blood loss and the damage to surrounding tissues are minimized.
During the trial period, the apparatus was shown to be highly efficient, and it would be extremely beneficial for our patients if we could buy it for our center.
The approximate cost of the apparatus is 180,000 roubles ($7200)."

Head of Center for Plastic,
Microvascular, and Reconstructive Surgery, RCCH
A.V. Bystrov

22.10.2007 News about our patients in Germany:
Milena's treatment is successful so far. On October 18, there was a joint consultation of specialists with participation of Prof. Foeldi, who heads the clinic. On the basis of the examinations, the German specialists came to a decision on the causes of Milena's rare disorder and concluded that her leg need not be amputated. Venous drainage from the girl's legs can be corrected using contemporary therapy. Special high-quality compression fabric has been bought for Milena, and special boots for all seasons have been manufactured. A week later, Milena will go to the Charite clinic in Berlin for an examination, and afterwards the doctors will come to a final decision as to whether surgical intervention on her vessels is appropriate.

Vitalik Sotnikov with his mother are still in Munich. Now, under the physicians' control, the boy is learning to use his mouth again. It is just as difficult as learning to walk again after a long break! However, Vitalik's achievements are good: he has already learned to eat all by himself.

20.10.2007 Ortheses for Sasha Kapustin have been ordered and paid for. Thank you for your help! The orthopedic system for Sasha, which costs 85,000.45 roubles ($3400), was manufactured by Alexei Nalogin. Sasha is one of the youngest patients who are learning to walk using Nalogin's Dospekhi (Armor) system, and we hope that this wonderful boy will gradually achieve the same as other boys of his age and have a normal life.

19.10.2007 We remove the story of Maxim Zolotov from the first page of our Web site: the invoice for his examination at the Burdenko Institute of Neurosurgery has been paid.

17.10.2007 Olya Shchekina and her mother returned from the Munich clinic on October 14. After a thorough examination, the German physicians decided that surgery is not appropriate now in Olya's case.

16.10.2007 The administration of the Russian Children's Clinical Hospital has written us a thank-you letter for help to the Department of Marrow Transplantation, especially for recent help in purchasing a BIPAP apparatus for artificial lung ventilation.
We want to say the same words of gratitude to you: our sponsors and volunteers. Thank you, dear friends!

* * *

The Department of Medical Genetics needs another inhaler. Little Sonya Dementieva is only two months old. She has never lived at home: only hospitals since birth. Now Sonya is at our hospital, and the physicians have confirmed her diagnosis: cystic fibrosis. To survive, Sonya needs a PARI Junior BOY S inhaler with a special nozzle for babies. This device costs 11,160 roubles ($446).
Since the middle of September, we have received 13 applications asking us to buy inhalers for children with cystic fibrosis. The total sum required for purchasing them is over 120,000 roubles ($4800). However, so far we have received only one donation specially aimed at fundraising for buying inhalers, and it was only $40...

15.10.2007 Some news about orphans at our hospital. Leonid and little Igor have been discharged. Another small boy, Dima L., is back at the hospital. He will have a neurosurgical intervention.
 

11.10.2007 The total sum spent by the Foundation for purchasing medications, equipment, consumables, and medical services in September 2007 was 294,738.36 roubles ($11,790). Continued...

We thank private sponsors who provided significant help to patients of our hospital in September:
Maxim and Vladimir bought 26 vials of Gabriglobin worth 83,200 roubles ($3328) for the Department of Marrow Transplantation;
Roman bought Dacarbazine, Carboplatin, Cisplatin, and Epirubicin worth 59,757.70 roubles ($2390) for the Department of Oncology;
Sergei handed 25,000 euro to the mother of Vitalik Sotnikov for the boy's treatment in Germany.

10.10.2007 Our House of Hope celebrated its first "birthday" last week. To congratulate everybody with this date and to see this unique institution, many guests arrived at the House of Hope: physicians form the Russian Children's Clinical Hospital, our friends and volunteers, and, of course, representatives of the Aiutateci a Salvare i Bambini Onlus association (Italy), which made such an enornous contribution to implementation of this project. The guests and the little inhabitatants of the House of Hope were happy to see each other. Continued...
 

9.10.2007 Physicians who head the Departments of Oncohematology-16 and -27 need urgent help in purchasing equipment:

"The Laboratory of Clinical Cytology at our hospital has long been needing a VP2000 (Abbott) automatic slide processor for fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). The FISH technique is used for cytogenetic diagnostics of malignant neoplasms, providing more precise diagnosis and excluding potentially fatal errors. The VP2000 device automatically prepares samples for various cytogenetic investigations of pathological substrates, which is especially important for our hospital, where the number of laboratory specialists is always insufficient.
In addition, both departments of oncohematology regularly need various devices, setups, and consumables. For example, most of our infusion and syringe pumps (Infusomats and Perfusors) have been bought some or another time ago thanks to sponsorship, mainly via your foundation. However, these apparata are insufficient now, because part of them are worn-out and old. And, besides, our departments presently just need a larger number of pumps, since marrow autotransplantations are sometimes done directly at these departments. The situation with infusomats and perfusors is critical. We need four B. Braun Space sets with four devices in each. The total cost of this equipment is 2.5 million roubles (about $100,000).

Yours respectfully,
Head of the Department of Oncohematology and Chemotherapy D. Litvinov
Head of the Department of Oncohematology N. Myakova"
 

8.10.2007 We have completed the fundraising for the benefit of Pasha T-v. The distractor was received on credit (presently we have paid the entire sum) and installed earlier. It will be removed in 3 weeks or so. Subsequently Pasha will also have plastic surgery on his hand, and follow-up treatment at the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery will take place a year later.

6.10.2007 Some news about children receiving treatment in Germany.
Vitalik Sotnikov has had his plastic surgery! An extremely complex surgical intervention on his face and jaws took place at the Munich hospital on October 2. It was successful. The child is already back at the department. He is very hungry all the time.

Milena L-na has undergone the necessary examinations. Special boots have been ordered for her, and now she is receiving massage and combined treatment. As a result, her vessels have become much better and the volume of her leg has decreased greatly. Milena likes her hospital department: there is a lot of various art therapy there, and it is always interesting. Milena sends everybody her best regards. So far we know that her stay at the Munich hospital will last at least five weeks instead of the previously planned four weeks.

Head of the Department of Medical Genetics Dr. S.Yu. Semykin again asks to buy inhalers: "Our patients Alexei Churilov, born June 5, 1991 (Tula region), and Vitali Amelchakov, born September 23, 1991 (Abakan, Khakassia), need ultrasonic Turbo Pari Boy inhalers/nebulizers. The inhalers that these children have now were bought over 10 years ago. These devices work with interruptions and require replacement."

5.10.2007 Our friends from the Video International company have delivered another batch of Johnson & Johnson hygienic goods to our hospital: diapers, baby wipes, baby oil, shampoos, creams, baby powder, soap, etc. These things are especially necessary for the youngest patients of our hospital. Such help is always timely!

Yura Mironov completed all the necessary examinations on October 3. Fortunately, the diagnosis suspected by physicians in his native town was not confirmed now. The doctors have given the necessary recommendations, and now Yura is going home with his mother and her newborn baby. We wish them good luck!

3.10.2007 Masha G., who regularly helps our children, made a wonderful present to the Department of Oncology: a large aquarium with exotic fish. Professionals will control and manage the ecosystem of this aquarium, and the kids with their mothers will just feed the beautiful silent creatures and look at them.

28.09.2007 Some news about the orphan patients.
Two new kids have arrived: Elvira A. is from the Penza region, and Leonid M., aged 8, is from the Kostroma region.
After successful surgeries, Alla T. and Nikita went home, to the Far East.

* * *

Two more children with cystic fibrosis need inhalers. Their names have been added to the relevant page.

22.09.2007 Three new children at the page listing children who need radiation therapy.

* * *

Physicians from the Department of Abdominal Surgery urgently need help:
Each month, this department hosts, on average, 10 to 15 patients aged from 1 month to 3 years. These children receive surgical and conservative treatment for various congenital defects of the gastrointestinal tract, biliary ducts, or pancreatic ducts; organic hyperinsulinism; biliary hepatic cirrhosis; etc. Most of our patients are gravely ill, and therefore they need a lot of pre- and postsurgical care and attention, as well as long-term infusion therapy. IV infusion of medications should be performed strictly in due time and at due rate, through infusion and syringe pumps. For adequate treatment of patients, the department needs ten FmS B Braun Infusomats (infusion pumps). One pump costs approximately 63,000 roubles ($2470).

Head of Department A.E. Stepanov
Surgeion Yu.V. Averyanova

21.09.2007 Some news about the orphan patients.
Dasha N. and Serezha K. have left our hospital. We thank everybody who supported these children in Moscow for three months! The car that came to take these kids back to Kaluga, brought two more small children to our hospital: Igor N. and Lyuda I. On the whole, about ten children from the Kaluga orphanage have been admitted to our hospital, and we are always glad to see them. The kids are clean, sociable, and merry. It is evident that these children are surrounded with kindness and good care. Also, the administration of the Kaluga orphanage always attentively listens to the physicians' recommendations and sends the children to our hospital without delay. We want to thank the director and staff of this orphanage for their professional attitude to work and kind hearts.
Our wonderful Galya from Suzdal has also left. Her examination is over, and the physicians are expecting her to arrive for the surgery in January 2008.

20.09.2007 Vitalik Sotnikov is at last going to Germany for treatment. He is to leave in the nearest few days. He has already received consultations by correspondence from specialists of two Munster clinics: those of pediatric plastic surgery and maxillofacial surgery (Profs. Grantzov and Erenfeld). Prof. Erenfeld, who heads the clinic for maxillofacial surgery, has offered two-stage surgical intervention with a month's break. The approximate cost of the treatment is 40,000 euro; however, since the problem is unique, the exact sum will be known only after the first stage of the treatment is over. Also, Vitalik will need money for travel, board and lodging.
Dr. Erenfeld is expecting Vitalik and his mother to arrive on September 27. The boy is to go through an examination, and the first surgery will take place on October 2. The second surgery is scheduled for the beginnng of November.
Vitalik has already spent almost a year and a half in Moscow. During this time, he has become much more grown-up. Physicians and volunteers deeply respect this active and courageous boy.
Sergei, who pays close attention to Vitalik's destiny, handed $25,000 to the boy's mother yesterday. Approximately the same additional sum is still needed. We hope that you will help.
On September 17, 2007, Vitalik was shown on TV; see here.

18.09.2007 Yesterday, Olya Shchekina and her mother left for Munich. Our Foundation paid for the tickets; Nikolai Nikolaevich and Irina gave some money for daily needs to Olya's mother. We thank everybody who has helped! Let us wish good luck to German doctors and wait for the news.
We have already paid for Tanya Kremer's ortheses and received them.
The fundraising for both girls is over.
We have received a piece of news from Milena and her nurse Tanya. Representatives of the German clinic met them at the airport and took them to the hospital. Treatment has been started.

17.09.2007 Three orphans have been admitted to our hospital. Galya B., aged seven, is here for the first time. For two other children, this is their second visit; they are Slava U. and Alla T.

15.09.2007 Dr. S.Yu. Semykin, Head of the Department of Medical Genetics, is asking for your help. Children with cystic fibrosis urgently need compression inhalers.

14.09.2007 Yesterday Ilya I. was discharged from hospital. The boy is simply unrecognizable. He smiles through the mask and says that he is happy to leave the hospital. As to his main disease, everything is all right. He will arrive for a check in a month. We wish him good health and more joy in his life.

12.09.2007 Milena L-na together with her nurse Tanya left for Foldi Klinik (Germany) today. Specialists of that hospital had expected Milena to come there three months ago, but it proved to be very difficult to send an orphan girl for treatment abroad. It was a real problem to make foreign passports for Milena and her nurse. However, the bureaucratic obstacles have been overcome. Let us wish successful treatment to Milena and good luck to her nurse.

10.09.2007 The total sum spent by the Regional Public Charity Foundation for purchasing medications, equipment, consumables, and paying for medical services in August 2007 is 2,270,170 roubles ($89,026). Continued...

6.09.2007 A new charming orphan kid has been admitted to the hospital. Nikita is 19 months old. Evdokia and Gena have been discharged from hospital. The children were really depressed when they learned that it was time to leave the hospital. They hope to appear here once more.

4.09.2007 Several orphan children left our hospital today: Maxim, Dima, Serezha, Sasha Z-ov, and Katya M-va. Thank you for helping these children!

3.09.2007 Kirill Buidin's condition has stabilized. The physicians have conquered the cytomegalovirus infection, and the graft is functioning fine. The boy will receive out-patient treatment. The total sum for search and activation of an unrelated donor has been paid, and we remove Kirill's story from the first page of our site.
The fundraising for Anton Drobov and Georgi Vinnikov is also over. Anton is presently at the cottage for our patients, and Georgi is at the hospital department with his mother. Tomorrow, Georgi will undergo marrow autotransplantation. The entire sum that was to be paid to the Munich clinic has been raised.

30.08.2007 We thank private sponsors who helped us in August 2007:
Vladimir bought Gemzar and Navelbin worth 51,716 roubles ($2028) for the Department of Oncohematology-27;
Roman bought Vancomycin, Fungizone, and Holoxan worth 57,796 roubles ($2267) for the Department of Oncology;
Maxim bought Albumin, Vicasolum, Dimedrol, Lasix, Mannitol, Rheopolyglucinum, Timentin, and Fortum worth 38,228 roubles ($1500) for the Department of Oncohematology-16.

27.08.2007 Orphans Vanya G. (neurosurgery) and Kolya B. (nephrology) were discharged from hospital today. Kolya must return to hospital in December. We thank all who have supported the boys.

24.08.2007 Yesterday, we celebrated the birthday of Ilya I. The boy is presently receiving out-patient treatment and feeling fine.
All inhabitants of our cottage were happy to see such celebrations. We congratulate Ilya on his birthday and wish him health and good friends. We hope that this boy, who was so courageous during the grave illness and treatment, will find a family at last.

22.08.2007 Two new children from the Dmitrov orphanage have been admitted to the Department of Urology. They are Maxim E. (16 y.o.) and Dima B. (9 y.o.). According to the results of a detailed examination performed during the visit of our specialists to the Dmitrov orphanage, Maxim should have a surgery at once, whereas Dima will undergo yet another examination at the hospital.

21.08.2007 Vasilii Prik, a former patient of the Department of Clinical Immunology, came for a check-up. He became a university student this year. He wishes good health to all little patients of the hospital.

20.08.2007 Georgi Vinnikov returned from Munich this week. He was operated by Prof. von Schweinitz. Parents of our other children formerly operated by this surgeon (Ruslan Fidarov, Masha Tseberyaboi, and Dima Zyukov) say that this doctor has magical hands. The professor is satisfied with the result of the surgery: the tumor has been removed almost completely. He also liked the patient's condition on admission to his clinic, in spite of the grave diagnosis: he thinks that the treatment in Moscow was quite adequate and very accurate. Now the child is receiving his treatment at our hospital again. He will undergo radiation therapy and marrow autotransplantation. The boy turned seven on August 17. Congratulations and best wishes!

15.08.2007 Two orphans have arrived for treatment. For Gena B., a boy of nine, it is his second visit to the Department of Coloproctology. He remembers everything about our hospital.
And Serezha M., a boy of ten from the Orel region, was admitted to hospital for the first time. Everybody at the Department of Otolaryngology liked this lively and emotional kid. Many new friends bring him clothes, hygienic goods, and toys.

11.08.2007 The last week was very important for patients of the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery Olya B. and Pasha T-v. At first they were filmed for a TV program, which was shown on August 6. Also, it turned out that both children had birthdays the same week: Pasha turned five, and Olya turned fifteen.
And there was another pleasant surprise at Pasha's birthday party: little Kolya B. came to see the party on his own legs! It is the first time that he has been able to walk during his five years. He has undergone several surgeries, and several more are expected. But the doctors' work and the nurse's professional care have already lead to anazing results.

8.08.2007 Dear friends, we thank you for promptly responding to our requests. As soon as the page about children in need of radiation therapy appeared on this Web site, special donations for them started appearing on the account of our Foundation, and it became possible to pay for the pre-treatment simulation at the Research Center for Roentgenology and Radiology.

During the first six months of 2007, our Foundation transferred money for radiation therapy of the following patients: Denis Koshel, Daniil Kiselev, Artem Chumakov, Alina Chukaeva, Magomed Musaev, Anton Drobov, Victor Petkin, Dmitri Yugov, Kirill Rumyantsev, Alina Dzutseva, Alexander Sannikov, Alexander Korneev, Ilya Kulbatskii, Eduard Nikulnikov, and Anastasia Chekrizova. The total sum was 300,000 roubles ($11,765).
We remove the stories of Alina Dzutseva, Artem Chumakov, Dmitri Yugov, Anton Drobov, and Dmitri Sergienko from that page (the fundraising for their benefit is over so far). Anastasia Chekrizova will yet undergo the third stage of radiation therapy, payment is still necessary, and she will remain on the page.

Also, Prof. A.V. Lopatin, who heads the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, has handed us a letter of gratitude to all sponsors for their help in buying equipment and instruments, including the devices for laser dopplerography and external rigid fixation of the deformed facial skeleton.

6.08.2007 The Center for Microvascular Surgery, headed by Prof. A.V. Bystrov, needs financial help for purchasing Collost. Presently eight children urgently need this drug. They are patients aged from 4 to 14 with large deforming postburn scars, which impede the children's normal growth and development. The necessary amount of Collost costs 350,000 roubles ($13,725).

3.08.2007 The total sum spent by the Regional Public Charity Foundation for purchasing medications, equipment, consumables, and paying for medical services in July 2007 was 535,082.64 roubles ($20,984). Continued...

1.08.2007 Some news about orphans at our hospital.
A charming four-year-old girl named Dunya (Evdokia) has arrived from the town of Anadyr in Chukotka (Far Northeast). A boy of eight from the Ivanovo region, Sasha Z., has been admitted to the Diagnostic Department. He needs clothes and footwear. And Kolya B. is receiving treatment at the Department of Nephrology. Because of hormonal treatment, he is hungry all the time and needs additional nutrition.

31.07.2007 Within the You Are Not Alone program, our physicians had a journey to the Ryazan region (Central Russia, southeast of Moscow) on July 27. The doctors visited orphanages and adoptive families in the town of Kasimov and an asylum for disabled children in the Elatma settlement. The visiting team was headed by Nelli Ignatieva, Deputy Head Physician of the Russian Children's Clinical Hospital. Other participants were I.M. Chinenov (Head of the Department of Ophthalmology), T.M. Logacheva (gynecologist), E.S. Maryanova (pediatrician), I.V. Rasskazchikova (neuropathologist), E.O. Vyazmenov (otolaryngologist), V.A. Botyanin (surgeon), and A.Ya. Guseinov (urologist). The doctors examined 117 children and provided a total of 247 consultations. Admission to hospital was officially recommended for 34 children.

29.07.2007 We thank private sponsors who helped us in July 2007:
Roman bought Oliclinomel, Dicynone, and Fungizone worth a total of 60,983.56 roubles ($2392) for the Department of Oncology;
Masha bought Oliclinomel, Cernevit, and Valtrex worth a total of 50,000 roubles ($1961) for Anton Drobov from the Department of Marrow Transplantation;
Maxim and Vladimir bought Ceftazidime worth a total of 85,800 roubles ($3365) for the Department of Medical Genetics;
Denis brought 15 g of Gabriglobin for the Department of Marrow Transplantation.

28.07.2007 Vanya Makhnev died. A grave viral infection affected the boy's brain. The doctors tried to conquer it for a month and a half. Unfortunately, the boy's immunity, which had been artificially suppressed for engraftment of the donor marrow, was powerless even against viruses that would have been harmless for a healthy person. Please pray for this infant's soul and for the boy's parents in their grief.

27.07.2007 The results achieved within the You Are Not Alone program during the first half of 2007.
From January to July 2007, 44 children have received treatment at the Russian Children's Clinical Hospital within the You Are Not Alone program. These children arrived from the Moscow region (10), Ivanovo region (7), Kaluga region (6), Tula region (3), Orel region (2), Novgorod region (2), and one child from each of the following regions: Altai krai, Belgorod, Vologda, Kemerovo, Nizhni Novgorod, Sverdlovsk, Smolensk, Tambov, Tver, Yakutia (Sakha), Tatarstan, Evreiskaya oblast, Taimyr okrug.
Orphan patients have received medical help at the following departments: Maxillofacial Surgery (9 children), Microsurgery (6 children), Diagnostic (6 children), Urology (5 children), Neurosurgery (3 children), Otolaryngology (2 children), Endocrinology (2 children), Immunology (1 child), Diabetology (1 child), Traumatology and Orthopedics (1 child), Coloproctology (1 child), Psychoneurology and Epilepsy (Psychoneurology-2) (1 child), Resuscitation (1 child), Dermatology (1 child), Medical Genetics (1 child), Abdominal Surgery (1 child), Psychoneurology-1 (1 child), and Gynecology (1 child).

The money raised by the Regional Public Charity Foundation for Seriously ill and Abandoned Children was used to buy medications, nutrition, and hygienic goods worth a total of 603,608.30 roubles ($23,670) for the orphans. A total of 514,583 roubles ($20,180) was paid to nurses for their work.

25.07.2007 News about the orphan patients. Margarita (Rita) B., Lena B., Alena Kh., Sasha Ch., Artem E., and Yulia K. have been discharged from hospital. Vanya G. (19 months old, Department of Neurosurgery) from the town of Lyubertsy and Dasha (13 months old) from Kaluga have been admitted. For Dasha, it is her second visit to our hospital.

23.07.2007 On July 22, Georgi Vinnikov with his mother left for Munich. The required sum has been raised only partially, but surgery is required urgently, and so the administration of the German clinic has agreed to admit the boy immediately. We are continuing the fundraising and waiting for the news.

19.07.2007 Some news about orphans at our hospital.
Sasha Ya. recovered from his surgery and went home. We don't know if he will come to our hospital once more. He received good presents: not only a cellular phone but also a real musical synthesizer! We are really concerned with the future destiny of this gifted boy. It would be very good if he could receive professional musical education.
Eva Z. from the Department of Otolaryngology has been discharged from hospital. The doctors have done everything to help the kid: provided a complete medical examination and issued detailed recommendations. Now everything depends on the administration of Eva's orphanage. She needs surgical intervention on her legs, and the sooner, the better.
Little Margarita (Rita) from the Thoracic Department has had her surgery. She was admitted to our hospital in very grave condition, but the physicians hope that she may yet be all right.
Olya B-na has had radical surgery. The surgeons are pleased with the results achieved using the RED II distractor, which enabled them to restore normal proportions of the girl's facial skeleton. Olya will yet undergo several more reconstructive surgeries, but the main thing has already been done.
Our nurse Nadezhda will take care of new small kids from the Kaluga orphanage at the Diagnostic Department: Lena B. (10 months old) and Serezha K. (16 months old). Usually this nurse provides such good care to children that everybody is sure: soon these kids will not only walk but run about the hospital.
A charming small boy from the Orel orphanage was admitted to the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery. Artem E. is 22 months old.
Sasha K. has celebrated his 13th birthday. It was a real birthday with guests, congratulations, and even a cake.
Yulia K., a girl of 8 from Gorno-Altaisk (Southern Siberia), has been admitted to the Department of Coloproctology. She is not accompanied by anybody, and the director of her orphanage has sent us a letter asking to help Yulia here. This girl smiles a lot and likes to talk to others. She cleans her own ward, washes her clothes, and in general can take good care of herself. She has also celebrated her birthday at the hospital.

18.07.2007 An Invacare Platinum 5L oxygen concentrator worth 53,000 roubles ($2078) for Vika Kurenkova has been delivered to our hospital. Vika's mother will come and take it, because Vika is already at home. We thank Igor for his donation!

17.07.2007 Head of the Department of Oncohematology-16 D.V. Litvinov tells about his patients:
"Islam Khatkhakumov went home. As to the graft vs. host disease, he shows positive dynamics. The results of his blood and marrow tests are normal, and he has no marked clinical problems now. Since the child does not need Proleukin or other expensive medications at present, we are completing the fundraising for his benefit and removing his story from the first page of our site.
The situation with Vanya Makhnev is very serious. In spite of the treatment, Vanya shows no positive dynamics, and his encephalitis is growing progressively worse. Chemotherapy has reduced the content of blast cells, but this is not what presents the main danger in the boy's current condition. The results of tests for all infections are negative except for the Epstein-Barr virus, but treatment of this virus is inefficient so far. Please pray for the child!"

16.07.2007 The sum raised for the treatment of Tanya Zhovtonoga (120,000 roubles, or $4706) is sufficient at present. We remove the girl's story from the first page of our Web site, but we'll inform our friends about the progress in the girl's treatment.

11.07.2007 We thank the Detskie Domiki foundation for donating electronic medical devices (thermometers and tonometers) to 12 departments of our hospital.

9.07.2007 Anton Kalinichev, who is ten now, came to the hospital with his whole family.
We remind you that Anton Kalinichev was the first of our patients whose life was saved thanks to unrelated marrow transplantation. For many years, he had to overcome various posttransplantation complications and problems, but now almost everything is all right. Anton is feeling fine and doing very well at school. We wish all the best to this loving and beautiful family.

5.07.2007 Video Service Co. has again delivered a large batch of Johnson&Johnson hygienic goods to the hospital. A lot of small but necessary things: baby wipes, baby powder, soap, washing gel, baby shampoo and oil, etc. At a pediatric hospital, such things are required in very large amounts. Special help was provided to orphan children. We thank this company for invaluable and timely help!

4.07.2007 The total sum spent by the Foundation for purchasing medications, equipment, consumables, and paying for medical services in June 2007 was 1,765,018 roubles ($69,215). Continued...

Help provided by private persons:
Maxim bought medications worth 73,150 roubles ($2869) for the Department of Oncohematology-16;
Vladimir bought medications worth 68,202 roubles ($2675) for the Department of Oncology;
Masha bought medications worth 50,060 roubles ($1963) for Anton Drobov from the Department of Marrow Transplantation;
Roman bought medications worth 62,770.65 roubles ($2462) for the Department of Oncology.

30.06.2007 The Department of Oncology urgently needs two wheelchairs. Your help will be very important!

29.06.2007 An anonymous contributor has paid for Sergei Suslov's prosthesis. This prosthesis is already at our hospital, and the surgery is scheduled for July 4. Let us wish good luck to this courageous boy and to his mother. We remove Sergei's photograph from the first page of our site, since the fundraising for his benefit has been completed.

28.06.2007 Two of our former patients, Igor Obolenski and Serezha Tropin, came for a check. Serezha, who is five now, survived after lymphohistiocytosis, and Igor Obolenski, a boy of twelve, had aplastic anemia. Both received unrelated marrow transplantations at our hospital several years ago.

27.06.2007 Father Georgi Chistyakov, who had been heading our hospital church for many years, died on June 22. The funeral service took place yesterday.

21.06.2007 We have already informed you that Vanya Makhnev had life-threatening complications. Yesterday the doctors decided to make a boost infusion of donor lymphocytes, which might help the boy's organism fight this infection. The cells will be delivered from Germany (Stefan Morsch Stiftung) on June 26. They cost 8100 euro.
At the same time, bone marrow for Kirill Buidin will also be delivered. The boy is already receiving conditioning prior to the transplantation, which will take place on June 27. A donor for the child was found fairly fast, when we had paid only for the search (5000 euro). The fundraising for donor activation (10,000 euro) is not yet over. We rely on you!

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20.06.2007 Fine news about Serezha Shapoval, who turned one year old on May 26. The doctors have allowed him to go home from hospital.
We wish him a happy return to his home in Vladivostok. Serezha's parents thank all who helped save their baby.

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Information about our patients.
Vitalik Sotnikov: as to his main disease, everything is all right. The boy will soon go to Germany, where plastic surgeons will provide a consultation and possibly the first surgery. Now we are waiting for an invoice from the German clinic.
Ilya I. is presently in aplasia and has fever. The sixth cycle of chemotherapy is over; the response to treatment is good.
Islam Khatkhakumov: to fight the boy's main illness, the graft vs. host disease was artificially induced. Now his condition is more or less normal again. There is a break in his Proleukin therapy. The boy is having a rest at home. Soon he will return to our hospital for continuation of his therapy.
Tanya Zhovtonoga: at the Center for Cell Monitoring (Blokhin Oncological Center), her stem cells were taken twice, grown, and infused. Two more extractions of stem cells will be performed. The sum spent during the girl's treatment turned to be somewhat higher than previously planned: 46,000 roubles ($1805) has already been paid, but the next manipulations require 47,200 more ($1850). Please help her!
Only a short time has passed after Anton Drobov's transplantation, but the boy already has a WBC count of 1.4. He has even been allowed to leave his sterile isolated ward and to walk along the passages of the Department of Marrow Transplantation.
Now about Vanya Makhnev. Alas, the boy has developed viral encephalitis. This infection is very dangerous and very difficult to fight. Vanya is receiving intensive therapy, but it is too early to speak of positive dynamics.
And Alexei Pastushchin: we regret to say that high-dose chemotherapy did not lead to improvement, and therefore transplantation is impossible. Fundraising for the boy is over; he will go home to receive palliative therapy.

14.06.2007 Some news about the orphan patients.
A new patient of the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery is Pasha T-v from the Ivanovo region. Since his treatment requires expensive equipment, we are organizing separate fundraising for his benefit.
Sasha and Kolya from Kolomna appeared at the hospital again in May. The boys have already undergone surgeries, and now long-term in-hospital treatment is required.
Alena B. has completed her treatment and left the hospital.

8.06.2007 We again ask you to help in fundraising needed to purchase equipment for the Department of Marrow Transplantation. This department needs a BIPAP Vision apparatus for noninvasive and invasive lung ventilation. It will enable the doctors to cope with respiratory insufficiency in patients after marrow transplantations without transferring them to the intensive care department. The possibility of receiving due help directly at the Department of Marrow Transplantation is vitally important for the patients, since transfer to the intensive care unit from a sterile isolated ward can be fatal for a child after marrow transplantation. We lose children who could probably be saved if they received artificial lung ventilation directly in their sterile wards at the Marrow Transplantation Department. The equipment and consumables cost 781,337.44 roubles (above $30,000)

7.06.2007 We placed new information about our patients who need financial help for radiation therapy at the Center for Roentgenology and Radiology. Please help them!

8.06.2007 We again ask you to help in fundraising needed to purchase equipment for the Department of Marrow Transplantation. This department needs a BIPAP Vision apparatus for noninvasive and invasive lung ventilation. It will enable the doctors to cope with respiratory insufficiency in patients after marrow transplantations without transferring them to the intensive care department. The possibility of receiving due help directly at the Department of Marrow Transplantation is vitally important for the patients, since transfer to the intensive care unit from a sterile isolated ward can be fatal for a child after marrow transplantation. We lose children who could probably be saved if they received artificial lung ventilation directly in their sterile wards at the Marrow Transplantation Department. The equipment and consumables cost 781,337.44 roubles (above $30,000).

7.06.2007 We placed new information about our patients who need financial help for radiation therapy at the Center for Roentgenology and Radiology. Please help them!

4.06.2007 Some news about the orphan patients.
A new patient of the Thoracic Department is Margarita B-va, a three-year-old girl from the Vladimir region. Our nurse Lena takes care of her. The doctors are examining the girl and preparing her for surgery.
Alena Kh. from the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery has had her operation. She is to spend a long time here, and so she needs summer clothes suitable for her age (2 y.o.). Volunteers say that the girl is very smart, active, and funny.
Polina Kh. from the Department of Neurosurgery went home after her second surgery. She will arrive for a check-up in three months.
Eva Z. from the Department of Otolaryngology is going through the prescribed treatment and preparing for surgery.
Sasha Ya. from the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery has also had his operation. This boy is so active that he even tries to cook food for everybody. Surely he will not be lost in this life.
Nadya from the Department of Neurosurgery and Misha from the Department of Microvascular Surgery have left hospital after their operations. Nastya P. from the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery has also been discharged after the first operation, and now we are expecting her to arrive in autumn for follow-up treatment.
Alena B-na has again been admitted to the Department of General Endocrinology after a year's break. She looks very grown-up now.

2.06.2007 The total sum spent by the Foundation for purchasing medications and consumables and paying for examinations and medical services in May 2007 was 1,948,811.12 roubles ($74,954) plus 2000 euro. Continued...

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Yesterday, our old friend Vova Leskov visited our hospital church with his mother. He was admitted to the Russian Children's Clinical Hospital with severe aplastic anemia and spent four years here, from 1999 to 2003.
Now Vova has become quite grown-up, strong and optimistic. He has finished his fifth school year. His achievements in all school subjects are excellent, and he likes maths best. He is also good at all kinds of sports: plays football and basket-ball with other boys, goes skiing and skating in winter. He plays the guitar at a musical school and dreams of learning to play the electric guitar as well.
This year, he won school competitions in history and natural sciences. And he wants to study law when he grows up.
Vova's mother has arranged an excellent "natural" life for her son. She breeds her own goats, grows fruit and vegetables, bakes bread. And Vova helps her.
In spite of their long stay at hospital and difficult treatment, Vova recalls that time with warmth. The doctors were kind to him, and sponsors and volunteers helped a lot.
Vova's mother says, "We are infinitely grateful to all who helped us. We miss you. After all, Vova spent his childhood at hospital. He had interesting occupations here: drawing, music, modeling. It was here that he began going to church. We often recall all who were near us at the hospital, all the sponsors. We watch all TV reports about you. We would like to help other people who are at your hospital now."
We wish Volodya and his mother all the best, good health above all!

1.06.2007 A press conference concerning the present state of the You Are Not Alone program took place on May 30. The press conference was organized by the Regional Public Charity Foundation for Seriously ill and Abandoned Children and the administration of the Russian Children's Clinical Hospital. Head Physician of the RCCH Nikolai Vaganov, President of charity foundation Line Saltykova, Deputy Head Physician of the RCCH Nelli Ignatyeva, and Head of the Infectious Department Galina Volkova answered the correspondents' questions concerning the results achieved within the program, the visits to orphanages, the attitude of physicians and nurses to orphans, the work of volunteers, etc.
All orphans who are currently under treatment at the RCCH were invited to the conference hall and given wonderful presents.

For further successful development of the You Are Not Alone program, our Foundation together with the Priyut Detstva (Childhood Shelter) foundation is starting a new project: creation of a rehabilitation center for orphan patients. The center is to be opened at a distance of 18 km from Moscow, in a picturesque place. After the creation of such a center, more orphans will be able to undergo long-term multistage treatment at our hospital and the efficiency of such treatment will be higher.
Presently four orphan patients at our hospital are undergoing multistage treatment, which requires long rehabilitation: Sasha K., Milena L-na, Ilya I., and Olya B-na. After a rehabilitation center is opened, it will be possible for our hospital to treat many more such patients.
Our partners from the Childhood Shelter foundation have long experience of working with orphans and homeless children, and they well understand the essence of the problem.
This project can be implemented fast enough if we receive timely financing, a total of $300,000. After it, the new center will be ready to take its first patients by the end of 2007.

31.05.2007 Dr. Artem V. Myzin, Head of the Department of Endoscopic Surgery, and the staff of this department ask for you help in purchasing a LigaSure apparatus for hemostasis. This apparatus makes it possible to perform any kind of complex surgeries almost without blood losses and to avoid the use of narcotic analgesics. The total cost of this equipment is 567,123 roubles ($21,812). Continued...

30.05.2007 Dima Nosal from the Department of Marrow Transplantation suddenly died of pulmonary bleeding at the Intensive Care Department. This loss was quite unexpected. Somehow everybody was sure that this kid would be all right. Such courageous and loving parents, such a merry boy. Please pray for his soul.

29.05.2007 Each month, from 5 to 8 patients of our hospital need radiation therapy at the Center for Roentgenology and Radiology. The total sum required for this is up to $10,000 per month. During several years, our regular partners from the Boomerang foundation had paid for them. From April 2007, our Foundation has become fully responsible for these payments. We will provide information on children who need radiation therapy on a special page of our Web site. Please pay attention!

28.05.2007 Some news about our patients. Anton Drobov had marrow transplantation on May 22. Please pray for his health.
Today, little Matvei Korzh with his father Stanislav visited us before going home, to the Stavropol region. Matvei has completed a long course of Proleukin therapy, which was possible thanks to your financial help. The kid feels all right. His father thanks everybody who supported Matvei!

25.05.2007 We have completed the fundraising for two of our patients. Zyvox worth 40,607 roubles (over $1500) has been purchased for Ira Lukashenko, and the necessary amount of Keppra has been bought for Kirill Smykov (17,206 roubles, or $660, in April; 35,369 roubles, or $1360, in May). Presently Kirill has been supplied with the drug for the time being, and the boy went home with his mother.

24.05.2007 On their way home from Germany, Dima Zyukov and his father visited our hospital. Dima has had a successful surgery, and now he must arrive for a check-up three months later.
By the way, Dima managed to grow very beautiful curly hair in Germany. We had no idea that the boy had such golden locks!

23.05.2007 Last week, a group of physicians from the Russian Children's Clinical Hospital visited Dmitrov, a town near Moscow. This visit took place within the You Are Not Alone program. The physicians consulted children from the Dmitrov orphanage for children with disabilities.
The visiting team was headed by Deputy Head Physician of the RCCH L.S. Karpin. It also included leading doctors from the Departments of Urology, Traumatology and Orthopedics, Ophthalmology, and Psychoneurology. Yuri Kholangot from our charitable foundation and Kostya Sedov, our "Doctor Clown," also were there.

Our specialists examined 77 children (a total of 93 consultations). 21 children will be directed to the Russian Children's Clinical Hospital for correction of their therapy or for surgical treatment.

22.05.2007 On May 30, right before the International Children's Day, a press conference concerning the You Are Not Alone program (aimed at providing medical treatment to orphans) will take place at the conference hall of the Russian Children's Clinical Hospital.
It is no secret that there are a lot of orphans in Russia, and many of them need serious medical help. Unfortunately, it is often impossible to help them at provincial hospitals, and administrations of orphanages sometimes just don't know how to provide due medical help to children and how to send them to central hospitals for treatment if necessary. Presently there are many programs for support of orphan children, but very few of these programs are specially aimed at their treatment. The purpose of our program is to draw attention to problems of ill children left by their parents and to try to give them a chance for normal future life.
The Russian Children's Clinical Hospital and the Regional Public Charity Foundation for Seriously ill and Abandoned Children have been working on this program since September 2005. They organize visits of physicians to provincial regions for examining children and directing them to the RCCH for treatment if necessary. At the hospital, they provide state-of-the-art treatment and purchase all the required drugs, clothes, hygienic goods, toys, etc. Qualified nurses for smaller children are hired. Since 2005, over 120 orphans from various Russian regions have received treatment at our hospital. Seventeen of them now live in new families.
The next step will be creation of a "guest house" for orphan children. They could live there between different stages of their treatment or during rehabilitation.

15.05.2007 Some news about our patients who are currently receiving their treatment in Germany.
Dima Zyukov: surgery at the Munich University Hospital was successful, and soon the physicians will determine the plans for further treatment. We hope that Dima will come home soon. We are grateful to everybody who helps the boy.
Oleg Shatalov is already in Moscow, recovering after the radiation therapy. Some time later, he will go to Munich again for an examination and for determining the tactics of further treatment. Oleg thanks sponsors and other people who support him in his struggle against the disease.
Presently yet another patient of our hospital, Masha Tseberyaboi, is under examination at the same Munich University Hospital. Half a year ago, she had a surgery there, and now the physicians, just as was planned, are making decisions concerning her further treatment.
Vladik Makaryev and his mother returned from Munster on May 10. After the radiation therapy, Vladik will receive maintenance therapy in Moscow. His overall condition is stable. Thank you for supporting the kid!

14.05.2007 Unfortunately, we are stopping the fundraising for the benefit of Zumrud Gadjiyakhyaeva. There is no matching donor for the girl in the international registry, because she belongs to a very rare ethnic group. The sum remaining at the account of the Stefan Morsch Foundation will be used to search for a donor for other children. Zumrud will continue receiving conservative therapy. However, there is still a chance to find a donor if her parents give birth to another child, Zumrud's brother or sister.

10.05.2007 This night, Anya Klyakovkina died. She had a very kind and pure soul. In spite of repeated transplantations of donor cells, she did not respond to treatment. The physicians fought for her life to the last moment. It is very painful to think that she is no longer with us.

9.05.2007 The total sum spent by our Foundation for buying medications and consumables and paying for medical services in April 2007 was 4,015,063.40 roubles ($154,425). Continued...

4.05.2007 We thank our regular sponsors for their support of hospital departments hosting the most gravely ill patients. In April, Roman bought Oliclinomel and Cernevit for the Department of Marrow Transplantation (59,477.78 roubles, or $2288), Maxim bought Cytosar and Edicin for the Department of Oncolohematology-16 (68,752.4 roubles, or $2644), and Vladimir bought Vincristine and Dacarbazine for the Department of Oncohematology-27 (67,367.6 roubles, or $2591). Thank you, friends!

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Some news about orphans at our hospital.

Danya S. from the Thoracic Department has been discharged from hospital. The surgeons have made all the necessary corrections. Now he needs good care, preferably at home. We hope that this charming baby will live in a family some time.
Little Dasha, Vanya, and Ilya have also been discharged. They got to love their nurse Nadezhda very dearly, and she also loved them. It is painful to think of Ilya's destiny. Less than a year later, he will have to be taken to a special orphanage for children with disabilities, where his life will probably be very sad.
Sasha K. had yet another surgery. It went fine. Since one more surgery is planned soon, he is not going home yet. Actually, he is happy to stay at hospital, where he has so many friends among both other children and adults.

Last thursday, Olya B-na went through a very difficult and long surgery. She is a brave girl: although she is feeling very miserable so far, she holds on without crying or complaining. She is only looking forward to seeing her new face. We thank mothers of other kids from the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, who take care of orphans at this department just as they take care of their own children.

Now about new orphan patients.

Alena Kh., aged 1 year 11 months, has been admitted to the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery. Our nurse Valentina provides all the necessary care for her. The surgery has already taken place. Other new patients are Nastya P. (2 years 3 months old) and Sasha Ya., a boy of thirteen. This unique boy can play virtually any musical instrument: the piano, the guitar, the violin, just anything that gets into his hands. He can play any melody by ear, although he has got only one ear since birth. Our Vladimir Shishkarev brought him a synthesizer, and Sasha played a real concert, from Beethoven to modern pop songs. At home, he plays in a folk group. Sasha K. was just amazed to hear this music, and now he wants to play the guitar, too.
Nadya (5 years old) and Polina Kh. (11 months old) have been admitted to the Department of Neurosurgery. The baby girl has already had her first surgery, and the second one is to take place soon.
A charming girl of one, Eva Z., has been admitted to the Department of Otolaryngology.
A new patient of the Department of Microvascular Surgery is Misha, aged six. His surgery has already taken place, and so he will stay at hospital for a short time.

3.05.2007 Physicians from the Department of Oncology ask for our help:
"The Department of Oncology, RCCH, provides treatment to children with various neoplasms aged from 0 to 15. The department has 30 beds. Every day, approximately 15 patients receive therapy that includes infusion of antibiotics, high doses of chemotherapeutic drugs, and large volumes of fluids. To set the doses of these solutions more precisely, we need infusion pumps. The old infusion pumps, purchased by your foundation some time ago, are already worn out. We would be very grateful if you could consider purchase of new infusion pumps and consumables for the Department of Oncology.
1. Braun infusomats: 10.
2. Braunostat mounting systems for infusion pumps: 10.
3. Braun systems: 100.

Yours respectfully,
Physician O.B. Polushkina"

1.05.2007 Deputy Director of the Research Institute of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology, and Immunology Prof. A.A. Maschan and Head of Laboratory of Molecular Biology V.O. Bobrynina asked us to help in organization of chimerism monitoring for patients undergoing allogeneic marrow transplantation or stem cell transplantation. According to data of numerous investigations, the chimerism type provides reliable evidence on the possible outcome of transplantation. Routine monitoring of linear chimerism levels makes it possible to perform timely adoptive immunotherapy, reducing the risk of relapse, rejection, etc. Continued...
The total cost of the project is 350,000 roubles ($13,460).

Head of the Department of Abdominal Surgery A.E. Stepanov and surgeon Yu.V. Averyanova asked our Foundation to help in financing virological examinations for patients of this department. The expected annual number of such patients is about 100, and the total sum required for buying consumables is 57,000 roubles ($2190) per year. The reagents will cost 68,000 roubles ($2615) per year. Continued...

30.04.2007 Within the You Are Not Alone program, 32 orphans aged from 6 months to 16 years were treated at the RCCH during the first quarter of 2007. Ten of them received expensive advanced medical help. Most of the orphan patients were admitted to the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery (7 children), Urology (4 children), other surgical departments (5 children). Most of them were from the Moscow (8 children), Kaluga (6), and Ivanovo (7) regions. At the same time, some patients were from the most distant regions of Russia (Altai, Yakutia, Taimyr, etc.).

29.04.2007 Sasha Matyash, a former patient of the Department of Oncohematology-27 and our good friend, came for a check-up. He was treated for leukemia at our hospital in 2005. Now he is feeling all right. Sasha's mother Elena handed us a letter. Continued...

22.04.2007 Some news about patients of the Department of Marrow Transplantation. Information from Head of Department E.V. Skorobogatova:
"Anya Klyakovkina felt worse again during the last week. Graft hypofunction has become more marked. The WBC count has decreased. She receives frequent transfusions. Multiorgan and respiratory insufficiency are progressing (Anya needs oxygen supply), as well as cardiac and renal insufficiency. Viral problems are also present. We are performing all the necessary therapy, but, unfortunately, the girl's immunity is impaired, because she has been in aplasia of hematopoiesis since June. Certainly, we will struggle, but there is nothing more to say as yet.
Now about Vanya Makhnev. The boy had Epstein-Barr viral infection two weeks ago. We coped with it successfully, and the virus was eliminated from blood. We will wait till the next week and then cancel the specific therapy. The struggle against the CMV infection was also successful enough. The number of virus copies is small. Somatically, Vanya is all right. He is active and has no fever."

The news from Germany. Three children from our hospital are now receiving treatment in Germany. Oleg Shatalov is in Munich. The boy has completed a course of radiation therapy, and now his physicians are deciding if a surgery is necessary. Dima Zyukov with his father are also in Munich. They arrived quite recently, and now Dima is having his examination. Vladik Makaryev with his mother are alreary in Munster. The course of radiation therapy will begin on April 25.
Besides, another child also needs expensive treatment in Germany. This child is everybody's favorite, Milena L-na, an orphan girl from Yakutia, who has been at the Department of Microvascular Surgery since July 2006. She has a severe vascular disorder, and there is serious danger that her leg will have to be amputated. The physicians are trying to do everything to save her leg. Presently we have made arrangements for the girl's treatment at the well-known Foeldi clinic in Germany. Four-week-long treatment should be started as soon as possible. The course will cost about 8500 euro. We hope that you will not stay indifferent to this girl's destiny!

17.04.2007 There is a serious problem at the Department of Oncology. It is overfull, three or four patients per ward. The mothers who take care of their children have no spare beds to sleep on. They need folding beds or money to buy such beds.

16.04.2007 We are completing the fundraising for four of our patients. The family of Dasha Kh. has paid for the prosthesis to be manufactured for Nina Kalinich. Nina will soon arrive for selection and adjustment of her prosthesis.
The entire cost of Vitalii Ezhov's prosthesis has been paid in the Czech Republic. The mother and son will go home to have a week's rest and then return for the surgery.
Elena and Maxim have transferred 30,000 euro to the account of the Munich hospital where Dima Zyukov is to have his treatment. The boy's father opened his visa today. On April 17, the Zyukovs will go abroad for an examination and afterwards may also stay there for treatment.
Our Foundation has transferred the required sum (6900 euro) to the account of the Munster hospital for radiation therapy of Vladik Makaryev. The family will get their visas tomorrow, and their departure is scheduled for April 18.

14.04.2007 Some news about orphans at our hospital.
Olya B. has arrived for an operation at the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery.
Little Danya from the Thoracic Department has undergone a successful surgery. Now he is recovering. We thank Alina, who brought a set of clothes, a pram and many other useful things for the kid.
Slava U. from the Department of Endocrinology and Dima from the Department of Neurosurgery have left the hospital. We are expecting Dima to arrive for a surgery six months later.
Serezha B. has been transferred to the Central Research Institute of Stomatology, where he will have surgical treatment. After it, he will be admitted to the Russian Children's Clinical Hospital again for surgical correction of the facial skeleton.
Vasya P. is to have a surgery on his hands. Unfortunately, he fell ill, and the physicians have sent him home for a month. When he recovers, he will arrive for a surgery at the Department of Traumatology and Orthopedics.
At the Department of Microvascular Surgery, Ruslan S. has undergone the first stage of his treatment and one surgery. He will arrive for his next surgery at the end of this year.

12.02.2007 Priyana Lubchinskaya died today. Since the very beginning, even prior to admission to the Russian Children's Clinical Hospital, her treatment evoked severe complications, which hindered administration of the necessary therapeutic protocol.
Priyana fought her disease till the last day. She loved life. She was a beautiful girl and a very good friend, an extremely talented and hard-working person. She was very good in school studies, especially interested in learning foreign languages. She was going to enter a university. Her plans were always successful, and only the illness was stronger than her will.

11.04.2007 Specialists who head two hospital departments asked for our help in purchasing equipment and software.
The Department of Marrow Transplantation needs a BIPAP Vision apparatus for noninvasive and invasive lung ventilation, which will enable physicians to cope with respiratory insufficiency in patients after marrow transplantation without transferring them to the intensive care unit. The possibility of receiving this help at the Department of Marrow Transplantation is vitally important for such patients, because leaving the sterile zone may be fatal for a child after marrow transplantation. This equipment costs 32,551.44 euro.
To provide state-of-the-art surgical help to patients of the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, physicians need a SurgiCase CMF software package for 3D modeling of the facial skeleton. This package will make the surgical intervention much more efficient and provide a better esthetic effect. The software costs 5400 euro.

* * *

Little Serezha Shapoval, who had spent 8 months at the Department of Marrow Transplantation with his parents, was allowed to leave his sterile ward. The baby, his mother and grandmother went to the House of Hope cottage today, and the whole department saw them off. However, physicians of the Department of Marrow Transplantation will still keep a close eye on his condition for a long time.
The boy's physician-in-charge Yu.V. Skvortsova and the Head of the Department E.V. Skorobogatova tell about his condition:
"Patient Sergei Shapoval with severe combined immune insufficiency, Omenn syndrome, has been receiving treatment at the Department of Marrow Transplantation since August 7, 2006.
Presently the only treatment method for Omenn syndrome is marrow transplantation. Search for an unrelated donor was initiated. However, since the child's condition progressively deterioated and there was high risk of infectious complications, a haploidentical transplantation from the boy's father was performed on October 12, 2006. The chimerism test showed graft rejection, and we decided to perform transplantation of umbilical cord blood from an unrelated donor. The transplantation was scheduled for the middle of April. Before preparatory chemotherapy, we performed another chimerism test on March 26. Suddenly we saw that 26% peripheral blood cells had donor hematopoiesis! And the main thing is that we studied the T-cell chimerism (it is this population of lymphocytes that largely determines the clinical symptoms) and saw that all of them were of donor origin.
Presently the child's condition is satisfactory and stable. He may receive out-patient treatment now. But it is too early to say that his immunity has been fully restored. Considering the specific features of his main disease, there is still a high risk of graft rejection. In this case, umbilical cord blood can be used as soon as the child's condition becomes worse."

* * *

Easter services took place at the hospital church. A procession with icons walked around the church, and then the children received communion.

4.04.2007 Physicians who head some of our departments tell about their patients.
N.V. Myakova, Department of Oncohematology-27:
Vladik Makariev is more or less all right so far. Intensive chemotherapy is over. Now he needs cranial irradiation for medium-risk leukemia. Radiation therapy of such small children is still a problem in our country, and so, to minimize the side effects, it would be better to perform this treatment in Germany.
The situation with Zumrud Gadjiyahyaeva is just as before. She has aplastic anemia, and her blood counts periodically decrease. She has already gone through three cycles of ATG therapy. There was a partial response to the last cycle, but, unfortunately, it was only temporary. So we cannot say that she is responding to immunosuppressive therapy, and the search for a donor is still required.
Ilya I. is better now. After the second cycle of chemotherapy, he is feeling all right. Before the next cycle, we will assess the dynamics of his condition. He is to go through a standard six-cycle protocol, which requires at least five months for treatment.

E.V. Skorobogatova, Department of Marrow Transplantation:
Anya Klyakovkina has had her fourth transplantation for graft hypofunctioning. And this time it was successful. Now the girl's main problem is CMV infection, because this infection itself and its treatment reduce the blood counts. The girl needs transfusions again. However, she has no fever. There was an exacerbation of the graft vs. host disease involving her skin and intestines, but Anya responded well to hormonal treatment.
Vanya Makhnev has no serious problems now. The graft is functioning fine, and there are no signs of graft vs. host disease. He shows complete donor chimerism. Last week, he had a transfusion of donor lymphocytes to provoke the graft vs. leukemia reaction to the minimum residual illness. Vanya has a medullary remission. But, since he had no GVHD except for very slight skin rash, we still want to simulate the graft vs. host disease, because otherwise the risk of leukemia relapse will be very high. If tests show that the CMV infection is completely over, Vanya will be allowed to leave the hospital for out-patient treatment.
We are glad to see that the situation with little Serezha Shapoval is not too bad. Before preparing for his second transplantation, we made some more chimerism tests and checked his immune status. And it turned out that he had 26% cells of donor origin (his father was the donor), although complete rejection of the graft was observed several months ago. Probably a certain pool of donor cells remained hidden for some time and suddenly showed itself. Maybe this is why the child is in somatically fine condition and shows no activation of his main disease, which always started from skin manifestations. We were also pleasantly surprised to see that restoration of his immunological parameters is beginning. The B-cell level is still lower than normal, but this is permissible: humoral immunity is sometimes restored 8 months or even 1 year after a haploidentical transplantation. The boy maintains his immunoglobulin level fairly well. He has no fever. His virological status has been fine for several months. We performed another chimerism test today; later we will inform you about its results.
Now as to Dima Nosal. There was an exacerbation of the GVHD with involvement of the intestines and skin. The boy receives hormonal therapy. The number of CMV copies increased for some time, but now it decreases again. He has no fever, and now, during the therapy, his condition is virtually normal.
Nikita Semenov is feeling almost fine. No fever, normal infectious status. Recently there was a small outbreak of intestinal GVHD, but we coped with it successfully. Presently there is moderate cytopenia.

D.V. Litvinov, Department of Oncohematology and Polychemotherapy-16:
First, a few words about Priyana Lubchinskaya. After a relapse, she received the first cycle of polychemotherapy. But aspergillosis was manifested during this cycle, and now she receives three antifungal drugs. Remission was not attained after the first cycle. It was very difficult to administer the second cycle, and the first attempt to do it failed: she had a terrible distress syndrome as a reaction to granulocyte transfusions, and so we had to cancel all prescribed treatment and get rid of the pulmonary oedema within a week. Somatically, her condition does not show any negative dynamics during the last few days, although she has been in deep neutropenia for two months.
The situation with Vitalik Sotnikov is not bad in principle. He is still receiving supportive chemotherapy. We discussed the tactics of facial plastic surgery with our surgeons several times and understood that there is no unambiguous solution to this problem. We decided to receive a consultation by correspondence from Germany and sent Vitalik's documents to the sarcoma group of the Berlin hospital that specializes in head and neck tumors and soft-tissue sarcomas. A professor from Berlin wrote us a e-mail stating that Vitalik's case is unique and therefore difficult. He has no ready answers to our questions now and wants Vitalik to arrive at his clinic for several days, so that this professor could see and examine the child personally. So now we will try to send Vitalik to Germany for a consultation and then make the optimum decision. After all, the boy has only one face.
Matvei Korzh is all right. The boy has been in remission for almost a year. No transcript, donor chimerism, good peripheral blood. The child is happy and jumps like a small monkey. We decided to stop Proleukin treatment, but we will closely monitor the boy's condition.

2.04.2007 The total sum spent by the Foundation for buying medications and consumables, paying for examinations and medical and municipal services in March 2007 was 1,266,333 roubles ($48,705). Continued...

27.03.2007 Media Service VI, a company that has already become our regular partner and sponsor, supplied our patients not only with Pampers diapers but also with Johnson&Johnson hygienic goods: shampoos, soaps, creams and oils, baby wipes, baby powders, adhesive strips, etc. We again thank this company for help and cooperation.

22.03.2007 Yesterday, at 3 a.m., Artem Romanov's heart stopped beating. During the last months, after it became clear that little Artem was in hopeless condition, his mother Elena has been dreaming only of going home with him, of staying together with him at home, if only for a few weeks. But the child's condition suddenly deteriorated, and they had to stay at hospital till the end.
Elena has no relatives at all. They were alone in the whole world. Only she and Artem.

21.03.2007 We thank Denis, who regularly helps us. This time he paid for 30 g of immunoglobulin to be used at the Department of Marrow Transplantation.

20.03.2007 The Moscow Diocesan Commission for Social Church Work transferred 41,020 roubles ($1570) for the treatment of Rasul Ibragimov. Ribavirin (14 vials) worth a total of 44,800 roubles ($1710) was urgently purchased. Unfortunately, the child is still in extremely grave condition.

16.03.2007 Physicians tell about the treatment and condition of our patients.
Dr. Elena V. Skorobogatova, Head of the Department of Marrow Transplantation:
"Anya Klyakovkina has already undergone three transplantations for acquired aplastic anemia. There were two graft rejections, and only now, a month after the third transplantation, restoration of leukopoiesis is observed. However, the girl still needs frequent transfusions of blood components. Her infectious status is comparatively fine. Next Monday, we will perform an exclusive procedure: intraosseous introduction of stromal cells grown over seven weeks. These cells represent the microenvironment of blood cells in the bone marrow. And we will also infused her brother's marrow (it will be her fourth transplantation!), with part of this marrow being administered into the bone as well. This is necessary for restoration of thrombocytopoiesis and erythropoiesis. We have already performed only one intraosseous transplantation for a patient with similar problems, and it was highly successful.
Now about Vanya Makhnev. Almost a month and a half have passed since this child had unrelated transplantation for refractory acute myeloid leukemia. The boy's main problem at present is CMV infection in the form of pulmonary lesion. High doses of immunoglobulins are required. Engraftment of the donor marrow has taken place, and his condition is under control.

Serezha Shapoval: the graft consisting of his father's marrow was rejected many months ago. Now the child is waiting for umbilical cord blood from Belgium to have allogeneic transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells. Somatically, the boy is fine: smiling, satisfied, active, without infectious problems.
Nikita Semenov had unrelated transplantation for acute myeloid leukemia about two months ago. He is feeling more or less fine. He has very good appetite, and only sometimes there are problems with digestion if he does not follow his diet.
Two other boys after marrow transplantation, Shevyakov and Monakhov, spent three weeks at the House of Hope cottage, where their blood counts became much better, within normal ranges. Now both children are at home. Now a girl from our department, Andreeva, is living at the same cottage. She had problems with graft functioning. But after three weeks in the countryside, she arrived for a check-up, and everything was all right. She went back there the same day."

Physicians from the Department of Oncohematology-16 have told us alarming news about Priyana Lubchinskaya. She has grave complications: infections, thrombosis, and aspergillosis. So, therapy for her main disease, leukemia, is impossible now.

Anton Drobov was taken home today for a month's rest. After that, he will arrive at the hospital to have his transplantation.

Since no additional sums are presently required for Nikita Semenov's treatment, we are completing the fundraising for his benefit.

Using the money donated "for all the children," we have paid for manufacturing of a bone graft for Ilsur Vagapov. We remove Ilsur's story from the first page of our Web site and wish him fast recovery.

Some news about the orphan patients.
Karolina went home. Everybody loved this girl.
Several boys (Ilya E-v, Sergey S., and Slava T.) have also been discharged.
Slava U. is back at the Department of Endocrinology after his surgery.
Now about the new patients. Vasya P., aged 2 years 10 months, is from Smolensk. He has been admitted to the Department of Dermatoallergology, and a surgery will soon take place. He is accompanied by a nurse from his orphanage.
Serezha B-v, a boy of seven from the Moscow region, has been admitted to the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery. Our nurse Klavdia is taking care of him. The child has a grave congenital cranial defect. But he is sociable, smiling, and has fine intellect. During his very first day at the hospital, he came to our library for books. He also likes drawing. The physicians say that, although the surgical intervention has been delayed too much, the facial defect can be successfully corrected.
Little Dasha (8 months old) and Vanya (2 years 6 months old) from an orphanage in Kaluga have arrived at the Diagnostic Department for an examination. The kids are simply charming, and our volunteers fell in love with them from the first hours. Dasha mostly sat in her bed at first, but now she smiles at everybody and wants to be held in somebody's arms all the time. As to Vanya, he is very smart and grown-up for his age. He helps his nurse Nadezhda with taking care of other children and puts all toys in their proper places. He is very kind to Ilya and Dasha. He walks in his ward hand in hand with Ilya, telling something to him, and jokes with Dasha so that she laughs out loud. Vanya himself is a very merry kid.
Little Ilya looks and feels better day after day. He runs toward all adults and smiles all the time. Nobody could even imagine such a transformation!

The last - and the best! - piece of news. Our beloved Sonya S., accompanied by a nurse, came to Moscow again yesterday. However, the reason was not medical: the nurse brought Sonya from Kamchatka to her new parents. Sonya has been adopted by a family of Muscovites. Congratulations!

15.03.2007 Today wonderful musicians from the Moscow Virtuosi chamber orchestra visited our patients and gave a concert right in our conference hall. They played Tchaikovsky, Gluck, Gershwin, Bach, Schubert. Although they had to use our old piano instead of a real concert grand piano, the children and parents were still amazed. The musicians also liked this visit and promised to arrive here once more.

Photo: duet of Mikhail Shanko (oboe) and Marina Kharkova (piano).

12.03.2007 More news about the orphan patients.
Many children left the hospital during the last few days. Tanya and Anya from Kaluga went home. The girls became much stronger in the kind hands of our nurse Nadezhda. Anya is already learning to walk, although she couldn't even sit without support on admission. The physicians say that she will be all right. She needs parents, not medications.
Olya and Nastya have been transferred to the Central Research Institute of Stomatology. After dental treatment, they will return to our Department of Maxillofacial Surgery for surgical intervention. The dental treatment is expensive, and our charitable foundation is going to pay for it.
Alenka has also been discharged from our hospital and transferred to a cardiological clinic. The girl is to have a heart surgery. During her stay at our hospital, the girl became stronger and more rosy-cheeked. Besides, she got rid of her unpleasant eczema.
Valya Ch. went home. Unfortunately, representatives of her orphanage again came after her two months later than planned. If we had known about this in advance, another surgery could be made. But nobody cared to phone us from Valya's orphanage.
Now we are waiting for her arrival at the end of the year. All our volunteers love Valya, and it was a pity to part with her. We stay in contact with her through SMS messages.
Dima from the Department of Neurosurgery is feeling better. He no longer cries all the time; moreover, he smiles at his nurse and guests. He has become stronger: now he can stand on his legs holding on the wall of his bed. A surgery will take place soon.
Now about new patients.
Charming Danya S. from an orphanage in Orel is presently at the Thoracic Department. Our nurse Valya will take care of him. The boy has serious congenital defects, but, fortunately, they can be efficiently cured. After the surgeons help him, Danya will grow up and develop like any other normal child. But this baby needs a family!
Artur E. from Chukotka (Far East) has been admitted to the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery. He has already had his surgery. They are already good friends with Sasha K.. Artur is a merry and sociable boy.

7.03.2007 We thank the Boomerang foundation, which paid a total of 165,573.36 roubles ($6270) for pre-treatment simulations at the Institute of Roentgenoradiology, where our patients undergo radiation therapy. The following patients have received this help now: Dima Tronin (Department of Otolaryngology), Yuri Popov (Department of Neurosurgery), Ilya Polyanski (Department of Oncology), Roma Poleshchuk (Department of Oncohematology-27), Nastya Zagumennova (Department of Oncology), Polina Shmygaleva (Department of Oncology), Dima Nosal (Department of Oncohematology-27), and Maria Bogdanova (Department of Oncology).

7.03.2007 Here you can see a brief report on the work of our charitable foundation in 2006.

6.03.2007 We thank the Boomerang foundation, which paid a total of 165,573.36 roubles ($6250) for pre-treatment simulation at the Institute of Roentgenology and Radiology for patients of the RCCH: Dima Tronin (Department of Otolaryngology), Yuri Popov (Department of Neurosurgery), Ilya Polyanskii (Department of Oncology), Roma Poleshchuk (Department of Oncohematology-27), Nastya Zagumennova (Department of Oncology), Polina Shmygaleva (Department of Oncology), Dima Nosal (Department of Oncohematology-27), and Maria Bogdanova (Department of Oncology).

* * *

For the report on the work of the You Are Not Alone program in 2006, see here. The total sum spent by our foundation in 2006 on implementation of the program for providing medical help to orphan children at the RCCH was about 740,000 roubles ($27.925). Within this program, 86 children from various regions of the Russian Federation received treatment at the RCCH in 2006. Most of these patients were admitted to the Departments of Maxillofacial Surgery (20 children), Urology (12 children), Gynecology (7 children), and surgical departments (14 children). Continued...

* * *

Since February 2007, the Regional Public Charity Foundation for Seriously ill and Abandoned Children together with the Russian Children's Clinical Hospital has launched a new permanent program for rehabilitation of children after treatment for grave oncohematological diseases.

5.03.2007 The total sum paid by the Regional Public Charity Foundation for Seriously ill and Abandoned Children in February 2007 was 1,459,670 roubles ($55,500). Continued...

Spring has come! Among other things, this means that our patients have spent their first winter in the House of Hope. We are happy to admit that there have been no technical problems during the entire winter. However, two rooms required additional heating in the coldest winter days. The necessary work on additional warming of these rooms will be done in summer.
Both children and parents feel fine in the cottage, and the doctors say that the recovery after chemotherapy is faster under such conditions, in the countryside, far from the noisy and petrol-smelling city.
Mother of Polina Cherepanova is telling:
"We live in this cottage during out-patient treatment. Before going here for the first time, we had indeed expected something good, something comfortable. But it turned out to be a real Home. The second day after we left it, my daughter said, "I want to go home." Meaning this cottage. We have lived in five places since October: at the hospital, at our relatives, in Germany, where we went for consultations, and so on. But only this house is Home for Polina here, and she wants to go back there. Children eat and play together, looking at each other. And we, their mothers, are also together, supporting each other like a big family. After only one weekend in this house, we felt better than after two weeks of rest at the hospital. This cottage is psychologically good. It is comfortable. It is so fine. Thank you!"

3.03.2007 More news about the orphan children. Katya,a girl of ten, is receiving treatment at the Department of Nephrology. It turned out that this girl has been at our hospital for two months, but, unfortunately, we learned this information only yesterday.
Karolina is nine years old. This girl from Kaluga is at the Department of Gastroenterology. No representative of her orphanage is taking care of her in Moscow.
The little kids from the Diagnostic Department are under examination. Their nurse Nadezhda provides loving and patient care to them. And they are trying hard to learn new things! Tanya can walk on her legs much better than before. Alenka and little Anya (who is also learning to walk) are also better.
But, Ilya, a boy a three, is the one who demonstrated the most striking changes. This is how he looked right after his arrival in Moscow three weeks ago. This is how he is looking now. The physicians and volunteers just can't recognize him. Several days ago, he was just lying in his playpen with an indifferent face, without trying to get up, without smiling. Now he runs over his ward and laughs out loud!
Love and care do wonders. It is painful to think that the kids will soon return to their orphanage. The staff of the Kaluga orphanage includes professional, skilled, and very kind people. It is just that one cannot give due attention to every kid at such an institution. To achieve this, there should be one nurse for three or four children rather than for twenty, and children should live in small cosy rooms rather than in huge bedrooms. We have been informed that Tanya, the girl who is one year old, will soon live in a family. Ilya can hardly hope for anything in our country, because the boy has Down syndrome. He will never understand why adults avert their eyes from this trustful smile.

2.03.2007 Physician Andrei S. Kozlovskii from the Department of Psychoneurology-1 is telling about the condition and treatment of Rasul Ibragimov:
"Rasul Ibragimov, aged 15, is a patient of the Department of Psychoneurology No. 1. His diagnosis is subacute viral encephalitis. From February 14 to February 19, he received infusion therapy with Gamimune 10 g/day (IV, dropwise). Presently the boy's condition is still grave, without positive dynamics. This is due to the main disease and secondary bronchopulmonary infection."

Since immunoglobulin treatment was urgently necessary, Gamimune for Rasul Ibragimov was supplied on credit.
The account for Gaminine for 388,994.40 roubles ($14,680) was paid by our charity foundation on February 26, 2007.

Valya Mo Zin Sin is a patient of the Department of Clinical Immunology. This little girl has a grave autoimmune disorder. Galina, a woman who has three children of her own, took Valya into her family. She has recently brought us a letter. Continued...

\ 28.02.2007 The problems with paying for Oleg Shatalov's treatment in Munich have been successfully resolved. In the nearest few days, our foundation will transfer 10,000 euro to the account of the German clinic, and one Russian insurance company (whose administration has got into direct contact with Oleg's parents) has promised to provide the remaining part of the sum. We are removing Oleg's story from the first page of our site and looking forward to hearing the news from Munich.

Physician Andrei S. Kozlovskii from the Department of Psychoneurology-1 is telling about the condition and treatment of Rasul Ibragimov:
"In his grave condition, the child needed treatment with an expensive medication, that is, infusion of normal human IV immunoglobulin. Thanks to the help of your charitable foundation, the drug has been purchased and a course of this therapy has been performed. Presently the boy's condition shows minor positive dynamics: the convulsions are not so frequent, and the boy can behave more adequately. The administration of our department and the patient's parents thank all who have helped in purchasing this drug."

We want to thank:
- Vyacheslav, who provided $5000 to buy immunoglobulin for Rasul Ibragimov;
- Roman, who bought 10 vials of Cardioxane worth about 60,000 roubles ($2265) for the Department of Oncohematology-27;
- Dmitri, who gave 100,000 roubles ($3775) to the parents of Serezha Shapoval and the same sum to the parents of Vanya Makhnev.
- Elena and Artem Shirokovs, who brought new clothes and boots for orphan patients.

27.02.2007 All patients of our hospital who need disposable Pampers diapers have been supplied with them for at least six months more! It is the second large batch of diapers provided to our patients within a long-term charitable project implemented by the Media Service VI company. We thank our friends from Media Service VI for this invaluable help.

24.02.2007 Two new orphan children have been admitted to the hospital. Dima is at the Department of Neurosurgery, and Ilya is at the Department of Urology.

22.02.2007 Oleg Shatalov and his mother left for Germany yesterday. The administration of the Munich clinic has agreed to take the boy for treatment after receiving only one-half of the sum, because it is impossible to postpone the surgery any more. We thank the benefactors for such prompt help. The remaining part of the sum should be raised and transferred to Germany in two weeks.

Our friends from the School of Modern Plays (a studio theater) annually arrange performances for our patients. Earlier, we took the children to the theater, and so only a few patients could visit it each time. But now the actors have shown their performance right in the crowded conference hall of the hospital, where hundreds of children, including those who cannot or may not leave hospital, saw it. We are whole-heartedly grateful to the wonderful young actors!

21.02.2007 The total sum spent by the Regional Public Charity Foundation for Seriously ill and Abandoned Children for buying medications and consumables and for diagnostic procedures in January 2007 was 1,768,781.56 roubles ($66,750). Continued...

The physicians tell about the conditions and treatment of their patients.
Natalia V. Myakova, Head of the Department of Oncohematology-27:
Stanislav Stoyan is continuing his post-radiation therapy. Presently he is undergoing third-line therapy: since his tumor does not shrink very fast, he is presently receiving Topotecan, a new drug bought for him thanks to your foundation.
Usman Metrishev has been allowed to go home for a short rest. He will be back in a week or so.
Zumrud Gadjiyahyaeva received an ATG infusion, and now we are waiting for the results. There is no notable response as yet. But her condition is still stable.
Ilya has received the first cycle of chemotherapy. Presently he is feeling much better than on admission. It is already possible to remove the drainages.
Unfortunately, Artem Romanov is presently at the intensive care unit. A huge hematoma formed under his dura mater has displaced all the brain structures. He is in the state of coma, aplasia, and without any remission of his main disease. His prognosis is dismal: 90% blast cells.
Magomed-Emin Musaev has completed the chemotherapy. Now he will receive radiation therapy.
Alan Bagaev is continuing his chemotherapy (consolidation course); so far everything is fine.
Sasha Rybaruk is through two cycles of chemotherapy. There is a certain suspicious remaning component; so far we don't know if it is a residual tumor or a hematoma. Radiation therapy is planned.
Islam Magomedov is continuing his treatment. There is some positive dynamics in his legs: he can now move them a little. In terms of his main disease, everything is all right.
Ramina Kostoeva is not yet in remission. She is presently in aplasia after a chemotherapy cycle with Fludarabin, and there are complications, probably fungal.

Dmitri V. Litvinov, Head of the Department of Oncohematology-16:
Priyana Lubchinskaya has received the first cycle of anti-relapse chemotherapy.
Vitalik Sotnikov is receiving supportive therapy. Antibacterial therapy for the soft-tissue defect is still necessary.
Nastya Kuzmina is under supportive therapy. Several more cycles are planned.
Elizaveta Kalinina has completed the fifth cycle of chemotherapy. Further therapy according to the protocol is planned.
Daniil Starikov is presently under conditioning before the second autotransplantation, which is planned for Friday. After the first autotransplantation, the tumor became approximately two times smaller.
Dasha Lyubitskaya has completed six cycles of chemotherapy. Her stem cells will soon be taken for subsequent autotransplantation.

Elena V. Skorobogatova, Head of the Department of Marrow Transplantation:
Anya Klyakovkina had her third transplantation two weeks ago. During the last two days, her WBC count rose to 1000. Before that, for the last three months, this count was from 0.1 to 0.3, and so we hope that this time engraftment will take place. And she is in better spirits.
Nikita Semenov's graft is functioning perfectly. The platelet count is about 100, and the WBC level is already normal, as if he were just a healthy boy.
Vanya Makhnev has a WBC count of 1000. There are no signs of graft vs. host disease or infectious complications. The liver and spleen have decreased a little.
Vitalik Moiseev is in better condition. We have been registering engraftment for the last week. There are some white blood cells, no fever and no graft vs. host disease. The boy had a serious lesion of the mucosa, but now he is feeling much better. He can even eat a little.
Dmitri Nosal also shows engraftment of transplanted marrow; the WBC count is above 1000. The oral mucosa is much better. He has no infectious problems.

20.02.2007 A new orphan girl has arrived at the hospital. Her name is Alenka.
Ilya's condition has stabilized. The boy looks less miserable. The doctors say that he has a certain kind of lymphoma. Treatment according to the protocol has been started, and his physicians say that his chances are fairly high.
Ilya's nurse says that he has received a letter from other kids living at his orphanage. It is full of drawings and good wishes. Now Ilya must reply to everybody personally.
In general, the boy has changed a lot. He even makes plans for the future and says that he must get well as soon as possible.
We have received a letter of gratitude from the administration of Ilya's school for supporting the boy.

19.02.2007 Eugene Yakovlev died on February 18. He had not responded to treatment. He spent his last weeks at home, with his parents.

18.02.2007 Elena V. Skorobogatova, Head of the Department of Marrow Transplantation, tells about her patients:
Last week, Anya Klyakovkina had her third transplantation from the same donor. There are no signs of engraftment as yet, but the girl has no high fever now, and she is in somewhat better spirits. There is no evidence for acute or chronic graft vs. host disease.
Serezha Shapoval is in somatically good condition, and his mother is glad to see him grow up and develop. He will have a transplantation from an unrelated donor in March or April. Umbilical cord blood has been found for him in Belgium. The degree of matching is exceptionally high for umbilical blood grafts: 9/10.
Now about Vitalik Moiseev. The boy had a serious lesion of the oral mucosa after the transplantation. The physicians even had to cut away the "extra" fragments of the mucosa. Now his tongue is already looking normal, the boy can speak, and the wounds are gradually healing. The boy has no fever. And the main thing is that there are already all signs of engraftment! The WBC count has been restored, and now the platelet and RBC counts are gradually rising, too.
Dmitri Nosal had his transplantation on February 7. His condition is the most grave in comparison with all other children, which is natural for the early posttransplantation period. The boy has such pains in the mouth that narcotic analgesics have to be used. This condition will last 5-7 days more. Besides, Dmitri has fever and receives intensive antifungal and antibacterial therapy. However, his mother Ira is very optimistic, and this is good for her son's spirits.
Nikita Semenov underwent marrow transplantation on January 18. The WBC and platelet counts, as well as the hemoglobin level, are excellent. The donor cells are functioning fine, and there are no signs of graft vs. host disease. Everything would be all right but for urethritis and cystitis, which spoil his life terribly. He cannot sleep well and has to take sedatives.
Vanya Makhnev showed no signs of engraftment at the 20th day after the unrelated transplantation. Let us wait a week more. The boy has no fever, and his oral mucosa looks better. There are no signs of graft vs. host disease. I must remind you that this child had refractory acute myeloid leukemia and underwent marrow transplantation without attaining remission. His liver and spleen were notably enlarged owing to the main disease. Unfortunately, the liver and spleen are not shrinking as yet. Let us hope that the child will attain remission.

16.02.2007 We thank the Sozidanie (Creation) foundation, which has provided $6000 for treatment of Oleg Shatalov abroad.
We are also grateful to the Society for Help to Russian Children, which donated 592,600 roubles ($22,360) to buy medications for Priyana Lubchinskaya and Stanislav Stoyan. The problem with drugs for Slava has been presently resolved, and we remove his photograph from the first page of our site.

15.02.2007 Some news about orphan children at the RCCH.
Four children were discharged from hospital today. Amina and Nastya from Kolomna (Moscow region) went home; they must arrive for follow-up treatment six months later. Maxim Kh. has also been discharged. And, finally, Ira T-va also had to go back to her orphanage. The Department of Maxillofacial Surgery seems empty and sad without her. We are worried about this girl's destiny. Thanks to the doctors, she has a normal face now, but so much time has been missed in her teaching and development! We only hope that she will yet manage to learn everything.
New orphan children have been admitted: Slava U., 12 y.o. (Department of Endocrinology), is from the Stavropol region; Serezha S., 14 y.o. (Department of Abdominal Surgery), is from the Moscow region, and Slava T., 14 y.o. (Department of Traumatology), is from Ivanovo.

9.02.2007 Some news about orphans at the RCCH.
Maxim Kh. urgently needs warm winter clothes and boots.
We have many new patients. Two girls, Nastya and Olya, have come from Komsomolsk in the Ivanovo region, whereas Alesha from the same town has already been discharged.
Three small children have arrived at the Diagnostic Department from Kaluga for a surgery. They are Tanya (1 y.o.), Ilya (3 y.o.), and Anya (10 months). They are all at the same ward, and our heroic nurse Nadezhda manages to cope with all of them.
Little Amina and Nastya from Kolomna (Moscow region) have been admitted to the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery. They have already gone through their first operations.
Ira T-va, one of the most "experienced" patients of the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, has recovered after the next operation. The girl's nice face bears almost no scars after the surgical intervention, and it is just impossible to guess how she looked when she first arrived at our hospital!
During these several months at our hospital, Ira has become our good friend. She has already learned a lot, and now she is trying to master the school curriculum. Ira's disorder has been neglected for such a long time that her case appears unique. Nevertheless, the physicians are sure that the girl has good chances for a normal life. But she needs professional help of speech therapists, teachers, and psychologists. And, of course, she needs a family with loving parents. The mother of another girl from the same ward has told us about her impressions of Ira during the two weeks of their contacts.

4.02.2007 Some news about the orphan patients.
Vika I. arrived in Moscow last week. Now she has mother Polina, father Dima, little brother Makar and sister Dunyasha, grandmothers and grandfathers. Of course, it will not be easy for the family. Vika needs serious and long rehabilitation. But her new mother and father hope that they will cope with all the problems. Their relatives supported them in this decision, lovingly greeted Vika, and are ready to help the young parents. Of course, physicians from our hospital will also continue helping the little girl.
Little Anton from Ivanovo also came to Moscow at the end of January. The boy has been adopted by our volunteer Irina.
Let us wish good luck to these kids and their new parents!

And alarming news. An orphan boy of eleven named Ilya was admitted to the Department of Oncohematology-27 from the surgical department of the Velikie Luki town hospital. He is in extremely grave condition. We have already found a good nurse for the boy, bought the necessary clothes and hygienic goods. Let us hope that the boy will survive. Please pray for him.

3.02.2007 The total sum paid for the Regional Public Charity Foundation in January 2007 was 1,768,781.56 roubles ($66,750). Continued....

Private persons and organizations donated the following sums in January 2007:
IP Bondarenko provided Vifend worth 153,908.05 roubles ($5810) for the Departments of Oncohematology-16 and -27.
Roman provided Holoxan and Magnevist worth 60,031.39 roubles ($2265) for the Department of Oncohematology-27.
Maxim provided Vifend worth 38,457.83 roubles ($1450) for the Department of Oncohematology-16.
Vladimir provided Vifend worth 38,457.83 roubles ($1450) for the Department of Oncohematology-16.
Denis provided 25 vials of Tavanic worth 27,534.50 roubles ($1040) for the Department of Marrow Transplantation.
OOO Vinar provided Dimedrol, Tavegyl, Zyvox, and Oliclinomel worth 150,155.1 roubles ($5665) for the Department of Oncohematology-27.
The Boomerang foundation paid 21,181.68 roubles ($800) in January for radiation therapy of Yulia Egorova from the Department of Oncology and 213,480.96 roubles ($8055) to buy Zyvox, Ampholip, Cyclophosphanum, Vincristine for Artem Romanov, Karolina Karapetyan, and Daniil Starikov from the Departments of Oncohematology-16 and -27.

2.02.2007 Famous singer Oleg Mityaev visited our hospital with a concert. Our patients have been looking forward to this event for almost a year.

For this concert, Mikhail Martynov made a wonderful present: professional acoustic devices. Now we can invite singers to our hospital, and they will no more complain of poor sound!

Oleg Mityaev arrived in time and started the concert. The hall was full of listeners; some were even sitting on the stairs. Several children were invited to the stage and joined in the singing.

SOS! Unfortunately, the situation with budgetary supply of medicines to our hospital is still difficult. The physicians heading oncological departments ask for your help: some medicines are urgently needed!
The total cost of the required drugs exceeds 2.5 million roubles ($95.000)!
"Dear friends,
Unfortunately, we will need your help and support approximately up to the end of February 2007, because gradual supply of the necessary drugs to our hospital is still slower than needed by our departments. But we cannot stop or interrupt treatment of our patients!" Continued...

30.01.2007 Vanya Makhnev has had marrow transplantation. However, there was an emergency situation. The possibility of surgery (and therefore the boy's life) was threatened at the last moment. The situation was resolved only thanks to doctor Marina Persiantseva, to her selflessness and unique gift of persuasion. For many years, doctor Persiantseva has been responsible for delivery of containers with a donor marrow from a foreign clinic to Moscow.

Marina I. Persiantseva

The very day when Vanya was expecting the arrival of the just taken donor cells, when his own bone marrow was completely killed by the chemotherapy, when survival is possible only if the transplantation takes place in a few hours... it was the day when winter came to Europe. Airports were closed because of snowfall and storm. The flight to Moscow was delayed for an indefinite time. But the doctor managed to convince the pilots (and they convinced their administration) that the donor marrow must be delivered to the Moscow hospital at all costs. The plane took off and safely landed in Moscow several hours later.

A matching donor has at last been found for another little boy from the Department of Marrow Transplantation, Serezha Shapoval. Actually, it is not bone marrow but umbilical cord blood, and the material is being stored in the umbilical blood bank. The problem requires more money now: 22,000 euro is needed to pay for the graft!

26.01.2007 Last Wednesday, a team including Deputy Head Physician of the RCCH Nelli A. Ignatyeva, Head of the Infectious Department Galina I. Volkova, Head of the Department of Psychoneurology-2 Elena S. Ilyina, and representative of our charity foundation Yuli Kholangot visited Kaluga, where the physicians consulted children from the local orphanage.
Dr. Nelli Ignatyeva told us:
"Our journey to the Kaluga orphanage took place within the framework of the You Are Not Alone charity program. The aim of this journey was to provide consultations to our colleagues in Kaluga who work with children left without parental care and to examine some children who suffer from disorders requiring the use of contemporary technologies for their treatment. Presently such help cannot be provided to these children at the level of the local public health services.
This orphanage in Kaluga presently hosts 108 children. We examined 35 of them. Most of these kids had perinatal problems. Eleven children will be directed to our hospital for examination and treatment, and others will receive recommended medical assistance in Kaluga. Continued...

24.01.2007 Dr. Artem V. Myzin, Head of the Department of Endoscopic Surgery, asked us to help the department in purchasing additional sets of endoscopic equipment, which will enable the specialists of this department to provide a significantly larger volume of advanced surgical help to patients of the RCCH. This is very important indeed! The total cost of the instruments is about 6500 euro.

23.01.2007 Famous singer Sergei Nikitin, loved by both children and adults, visited the RCCH today. The large conference hall of the hospital was full of patients, their parents, and doctors, who not only listened to favorite child songs but also sang together with Nikitin. Later, he visited the birthday party of our Milena. Among other guests of this party, there were volunteers, clown Kostya, and even representatives of the Yakut Republic.
Milena and her nurse Tatiana presently live at our hospital cottage House of Hope, where the girl will continue her rehabilitation. But now Milena specially came to the hospital to have her birthday party here. She was given a marvellous toy dog for a present.

It is our first winter in the House of Hope. So far the heating, water supply, etc., are still under testing, and therefore less than two-thirds of the rooms are occupied: 11 families live there instead of 18. Indeed, in case of any emergency, we must be able to take all inhabitants of this house to Moscow at once. But so far there have been no technical problems, and the children and their parents feel comfortable.
However, it turned out that we have underestimated the required volume of the fridges. So, two more large refrigerators will be needed before spring, when more inhabitants arrive at this house.

22.01.2007 On January 19, when the Russian Orthodox Church celebrated Epiphany, a liturgy with blessing of holy water was held at the hospital church.

20.01.2007 Maxim Kh., 11 years old, was admitted to our hospital from an orphanage in Troitsk (a town near Moscow). The boy is sociable and friendly, very sensible for his age, smiling and charming. Maxim loves playing football and basketball. He needs warm winter clothes.

19.01.2006 Physicians of the Department of Abdominal Surgery ask for help:
"A charming girl has been admitted to our deparment. Kristina Istomina is two months old. She has come from a small village in the Komi Republic [North-Eastern part of European Russia]. She is the elder child of two twins. She has a grave congenital disorder: biliary atresia. The second twin is a boy; he is healthy and staying at home. Kristina went through a difficult reconstructive surgery on January 15. Presently she is at the intensive care unit. If the postsurgical period proceeds smoothly, she will be transferred back to the Department of Abdominal Surgery, where combined treatment will be continued. The girl's mother cannot take care of her now for family reasons. We need a qualified and kind nurse who would take care of the baby after the surgery. Actually, such a nurse has already been found, but we would be grateful if the readers of this site would help in providing money to pay for her work."

18.01.2007 Nastya Kuzmina is completing her treatment in Germany. The physicians recommend one more week of radiation therapy. Nastya is feeling more or less all right and has no complications. The Kuzmins are planning to return to Moscow on January 26.

17.01.2007 Some news about the orphan children at the RCCH.
A distractor of skull bones (RED system) has been purchased for Olya B-na. The equipment costs 512,251.30 roubles ($19,330). The apparatus has already been delivered to the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, and Olya will soon be admitted to our hospital.
Little Dima S. and Lera V. from Vologda have already been discharged from hospital. The surgeries were successful in both cases, but it is only the first stage of surgical treatment. The kids have serious health problems. Lera is in a better situation, but Dima needs special care, which will determine not just his future destiny but his survival. A child with such health problems can receive due help only in a family. At first the kid's parents wanted to take Dima home after the treatment. His father was even going to meet his train in Vologda. But will they take their child when they learn about his prognosis? Let us wait for further information and hope for the best.
Nastya Zh-na has been discharged from the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery. Just as even, we were enraptured by her handiwork. Such skilful hands! The girl will return to the hospital six months later.
Olesya T. has also been discharged. She is great at drawing, and she has made portraits of all physicians and nurses at the department. Now these drawings are hanging on the walls of the wards and passages.
Sonya together with her loving nurse Natasha has also gone home. Before they left Moscow, volunteer Svetlana took both of them to the circus. They were simply delighted.
Sasha K. had another surgery on January 15. An expander for gradual stretching and smoothing of post-burn scars was introduced. Sasha will spend a long time at the hospital, and he was really happy to hear this. We are also glad to share his company.

16.01.2007 The physicians heading the oncohematological departments and the Department of Marrow Transplantation have informed us about their patients.

At the Department of Oncohematology-27:
Gastrointestinal graft vs. host disease is suspected in Usman Metrishev, who receives social help from readers of this site. Stomach biopsy has been performed. We are waiting for its results. Also, Usman needs a surgery for sinusitis.
Ramina Kostoeva (who also receives daily financial help) has gone through three cycles of anti-relapse chemotherapy. Her response to the treatment is satisfactory. Another cycle is planned.
Alan Bagaev and Magomed-Emin Musaev receive treatment as planned. The boys are in satisfactory condition.
Unfortunately, Artem Romanov has not responded to an anti-relapse chemotherapy cycle. Stronger polychemotherapy has been prescribed.
No donor has yet been found in the international registry for Zumrud Gadjiyahyaeva. So far the girl receives another course of ATG therapy.
Nikita Semenov has been transferred to the Department of Marrow Transplantation. He is preparing for unrelated marrow transplantation.

At the Department of Oncohematology-16:
Matvei Korzh is continuing his Proleukin therapy, now in somewhat lower doses. His condition is more or less all right.
This week, Dasha Lyubitskaya will have control examinations after the treatment; on the basis of their results, the physicians will be able to evaluate her response to the therapy.
Daniil Starikov has had stem cell autotransplantation. He is presently in a special ward at his department.
Vitalik Sotnikov receives due treatment for his main disease. However, the physicians have not yet come to a decision concerning the required plastic surgery of his face tissues.
Vanya Makhnev has been transferred to the Department of Marrow Transplantation. Alena has donated 5000 euro to Stefan Morsch Stiftung for activation of Vanya's donor.

At the Department of Marrow Transplantation:
Almost two months have passed since Anya Klyakovkina had her transplantation of hematopoietic cells. The graft is not functioning, although Anya's bone marrow contains cells of donor origin. Possibly the third transplantation will be performed. Anya is in grave condition. She has cytomegalovirus infection and complains of nausea, vomiting, and poor appetite.
Serezha Shapoval is in satisfactory condition, although graft rejection has already been documented. All cells in his blood are his own. Now transplantation from an unrelated donor is planned. Possibly it will be umbilical cord blood.
Vanya Makhnev is getting prepared for the transplantation. His condition is clinically stable. The transplantation is scheduled for January 26 or 27.
Nikita Semenov will have his transplantation in two days. He felt worse during the last day. He has developed respiratory insufficiency, possibly due to pneumonia.
Niyaz Minnakaev is presently at the Department of Immunology, in stable condition.
Vitalik Moiseev was admitted to the Department of Marrow Transplantation today. The transplantation is planned for January 26 or 27.

15.01.2007 Mothers of our patients often write to us. Some of these children were discharged long ago, some left the hospital quite recently. We often open these envelopes with anxiety: how are the kids, how is their life? But if we learn that everything is all right, our joy is incomparable to anything.
Doctors from the Department of Clinical Immunology saved Sergei Panchenko in 1999. It became possible thanks to the help of our sponsors, who purchased all the necessary expensive drugs for Sergei. He wouldn't survive without them.

Little Oleg Levchenko left the RCCH quite recently, not long before New Year. He got to the hospital when he was less than a year old. Here he learned to walk and pronounced his first words. We didn't place Oleg's story on the first page of our Web site. Although his disease was very grave, your constant support, our dear friends, ensured timely purchase of all the necessary drugs for the departments where Oleg was treated (Oncohematology-16 and then Marrow Transplantation). Also, volunteers of the Help Group and visitors of our Web site helped Oleg's mother survive in Moscow.

Igor Mikhailov is presently again at the Department of Traumatology and Orthopedics. His treatment has already lasted many years, ever since he was a year old. There is still much to come. But last year, after physicians of our hospital applied a new combined technique of advanced surgical treatment with stem cell autotransplantation, Igor and his mother saw the first real results. Now they believe that Igor will walk some time!

8.01.2007 Money has been raised for making a plastic skull model worth 30,680 roubles ($1158) for Iman Khanbetirova.
Sar-Ali Batalov is at home, recovering after the treatment. He had two surgeries using stem cells from September to December 2006. We remove the boy's photograph from the first page of our site. If further treatment is necessary, we will resume the fundraising.