In the last two months, life showed us one of its ugliest faces. On the 6th of October 2006 my little sister Darina was brought to the emergency room of the St. Marina University Hospital in Varna with fever, joint pains and overall feebleness. A number of supposed diagnoses (acute pielonefritis, Australian syndrome, reactive arthritis) gradually melted down to the suspicion that she has some sort of blood disease. The numerous punctures (samples from the bone marrow in her spine and hip joint) put together the macabre puzzle and confirmed that my sister is suffering from acute non-lymphoblast leukemia - M5.
   

Leukemia in itself has many forms, but they have common symptoms. Typical for the disease is the intensive formation of granulocytes (leukocytes) in the bone marrow, as well as in the liver and milt. The number of cells from the granulocyte/leukocyte category in the blood and bone marrow increases characteristically 1 to 100-fold. It begins with complaints of getting easily tired, loss of appetite, nausea, a feeling of heaviness in the left thigh. Then, there come the pains in the bones because of the growing bone marrow and the intensified blood formation The patients lose weight to the point of emaciation because of their faster metabolism.

In Dari's case, the cancer cells have accumulated in the blood and bone marrow. After consultations with several physicians we heard the same answer, "Her form of leukemia is very rare and ends lethally in about 75% of the cases. But still, treatment is possible." Unfortunately, Bulgarian specialists have very little experience with this particular form. As an alternative we were told to consider clinics abroad - in France, Israel or Germany.

Currently, Dari is undergoing a course of chemotherapy. We at home were given a thorough explanation about the consequences of this course. Still, we were unable to prepare for the sheer horror we experienced after the first phase of the course. Words fail me to describe the enormous change through which my little sister's body went.

 The crisis, which my family and I are now going through, the nightmare we experienced in the days of waiting, woke up a part of me that summoned up courage to scream out into the world a passionoate appeal for help:

I want to buy my sister's life!

Please, help me!

Lora