Vika Filippova 12.12.2002 Vika Filippova died. She had immunodeficiency and acute lymphocytic leukemia. A relapse of leukemia happened in February 2002, and the only chance to save Vika was marrow transplantation from an unrelated donor. A donor was found, and two generous people helped Vika's parents, having paid 15 000 EUR for the activation of this donor. The transplantation was urgently necessary, and we all hoped that it would take place in October, at the Marrow Transplantation Department of the St. Petersburg Medical University Clinic. But, unfortunately, this ward can host only six patients, and all the six beds were occupied by children with equally grave diseases. Vika had to wait for her turn. Naturally, it was impossible to operate Vika instead of another child and push somebody back in this line. The tragic aspect of the situation is that our medicine is still incapable of helping all people who need it. In November, the second relapse of leukemia occurred, and Vika died before the transplantation could be held. The 2500 USD collected for Vika will be used to pay for an unrelated marrow transplantation to Katya Gorbunova, a girl from the General Hematology Department. No words can tell how bravely Vika's parents fought for their daughter's life. And no words can express the despair and pain they feel now. In such terrible moments, only faith can console people and help them live further. Please pray for Vika's parents, so that your prayers might support them in their grief. 02.10.2002 Pavel paid 3231 EUR for the activation of bone marrow to be transplanted to Vika Filippova. Konstantin Ivanovich will cover the remaining part of Vika's account, and the St.Petersburg Medical University Clinic is planning to perform a transplantation of the bone marrow to Vika in the nearest time possible. 03.09.2002 A marrow donor for Vika Filippova was found in Germany. Now he will go through a medical examination and, if he is in good health, his bone marrow will be taken and shipped to Russia. The whole procedure costs 15,000 EUR (an account is already available, *see here*), and, if the money is collected and everything goes right, Vika go to the Marrow Transplantation Clinic of St. Petersburg University in October. 29.08.2002 Denis donated 1500 USD to search for a marrow donor for Vika Filippova. 22.07.2002 Dmitry donated 1000 USD for the search of bone marrow donor for Vika Filippova. 27.05.2002 An anonymous contributor transferred 3,128 roubles for Vika Filippova's treatment via the online credit card system. We, the parents of Vika Filippova, 11 y.o., ask all those who are reading this message for compassion and help in our tragic circumstances. Our daughter Vika fell ill in May 2001 and was admitted to the RCCH; the dianlosis was acute lymphocytic T-cell leukemia. The chemotherapy began to fight her disease, and her body began to fight the chemotherapy: high fever, constant vomiting, severe herpes, burned gullet, terrible pains in the whole body. Such was our treatment for ten months, from block to block of chemotherapy. But, for all its severity, the treatment proceeded successfully, and we firmly believed that we would be happy once more, just as we had always been before Vika's illness. We always surrounded our daughter with all the parental love and tenderness, and Vika was a healthy and merry child, loving all her relatives. But our girl has lost all her childish wishes and dreams during this illness. She has but one aim now: to get well and to go home again. The moment we learned the diagnosis, we imagined for an instant that we can lose our child. And this horror and pain are now constantly with us. Our hearts ache when we think we cannot help our girl. It seemed that her disease had receded, but a relapse was established during the last examination, on February 7, 2002. Now we are going through another course of treatment, and the only chance for recovery is marrow transplantation. Vika has no sisters or brothers, and so the marrow must be transplanted from an unrelated donor. To find the suitable bone marrow and ship it to Russia, an enormous sum is required - 18,000 USD. I am a medical nurse but cannot work because of Vika's illness, and my husband is a village veterinary. Even if we don't eat and drink at all, we will never manage to raise so much money in our whole life. But we don't lose hope; we believe that we will meet kind people who are not indifferent to our pain. Even a small contribution from any of them will be for the survival of our child. Please help save our Vika! Larisa and Viktor Filippov, Smolensk region