Artyom Gutsulyak, passed away on October 14, 2009
By admin. Filed in Remembrance |
Artyom passed away on October 14, 2009. It happened very unexpectedly. The day before his father called and asked to help him with buying Granocyte. He said he would call later to let us know how many vials Artyom would need. Next morning Artyom was transferred to the intensive care unit, where he passed away very shortly…
From the archives
Artyom Gutsulyak, DOB July 22, 2005, acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Artyom was hospitalized on April 17, 2009. Shortly before that he had pneumonia. Then all of a sudden when the doctors thought he recovered from the pneumonia, he got fever. The doctors said it was tonsillitis and prescribed him the antibiotics. Next day Artyom got paralyzed. The parents took him to the hospital right away. However, the specialists there (a neuropathologist, surgeon, and pediatrician) couldn’t diagnoze him. Finally, Artyom was seen by the hematologist, who diagnozed him with leukemia. The results of the puncture confirmed the diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia – 100% of blasts in the bone marrow. Artyom started a long-term treatment. He was bedridden for the first three months because the leukemia caused complications in his spinal cord and bones. Artyom’s mother had to carry him around all the time. She was massaging his hands and legs to prevent bedsores.
Now Artyom is undergoing the second protocol. He feels better now. He can walk and even run a little bit. The treatment will last at least till November. Meanwhile, the family has spent all their savings. Artyom’s mother had to quit her job to be with her son all the time. His father used to own a small computer store in the village. However, he had to shut this business down because it was not bringing him any profit. People can’t afford buying computers during the recession. Now he has occasional jobs here and there. This family raises one more child – a 12-year-old boy. Artyom has already been administered 30 vials of Grastim. His parents have to buy this very expensive medication (140 EURO for one vial). Artyom’s parents are asking for help. They didn’t rely on anyone and tried to pay for the treatment on their own. But Artyom gets more and more complications after the chemotherapy. He needs your financial support. Please, help him win a victory over cancer.
You can reach Artyom’s mother Anna at +38 067 526 6001 or his father Michael at +38 067 281 3893