Help Me Save My Niece -Leukaemia

Help Me Save My Niece – Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

My niece’s name is Megi Shurupova. Mega is a loving daughter, mother and wife, cherished and loved by us all. She is the light of my life and the only niece I have. Despite being in a tough condition, she always manages to spread love and happiness around her and gives us the strength to fight this horrific battle with her.

Megi’s life was surrounded by sorrow and tragedy ever since she was born. Her father, my only brother, was killed in a car accident when Megi was only 4 days old and soon after her biological mother abandoned her.

She had been growing up under my and my mother’s care ever since. I believe that anyone who reads this letter can imagine how our world turned upside down when we found out that Megi was sick.

She started to feel pain in her leg and arm after using an electric fan in the summer. Initially, we thought that she got cold or started experiencing nerve pain somehow. Once the doctors examined her, they knew immediately that something was wrong. After several checkups and thorough examination from the haematologist-oncologist, Megi was diagnosed with acute leukaemia. Later on, we also found out that we had to take her abroad for life-saving treatment. Our options were limited. This cancer could not be treated in her country, Georgia, so we had to act quickly. Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia spreads rapidly in the body. Within a week of diagnosis, we took Megi to a private hospital in Turkey.

This was the start of our long journey. In September 2020 at Koch University Hospital. This private hospital specializes in the treatment of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. They started nonstop treatment sessions of Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy for 3 months. Following many consultations with the specialized Doctors, the decision was to perform Stem Cell Transplantation on Megi. This would give her the best chance of life. The stem cell transplant was completed successfully on the 15th of January.

Initial hospitalization and stem cell transplant cost us 165,000 $. We managed to pay most of it with government funds, donations from our friends and strangers as well. We also had to sell almost everything we owed. Dealing with this amount of medical expenses was extremely challenging for us, especially during the global pandemic.

After the stem cell transplant, when we thought that all our troubles were behind and Megi was on the way to full recovery, on May 5, she was rushed back to the hospital. She developed acute G15 and Hepatic graft versus host disease (Grade 3). This disease directly affected Megi’s intestines and she could not eat food properly for several weeks. Intense support treatment was required, high doses of steroids on ongoing dialysis of her blood. Graft versus host disease (GVHD) can be fatal to a patient after the transplant and curing it is also extremely challenging.

We need 32,000 $ for treatments. We have run out of money and possibilities to get funding from somewhere else. We have time until the 19th of May to pay all of it; otherwise, the hospital will not continue treating her.

 Megi has been fighting relentlessly against this horrible disease for more than 8 months. Although she has a loving husband who has not left her side even for a day during all these months, she has a 3-year-old boy waiting for her back home. I am certain that the main reason for her strength is her son and she believes with all her heart that they will reunite soon.

When Megi was little, I swore on my brother’s grave that I would always protect and love her unconditionally. While I love her more than my life, I feel helpless, as the cost of these treatments are beyond my abilities and I am not able to cover them on my own. I plead to you all to help me save Megi, so her son does not have to grow an orphan just as his mom did. I believe we can achieve this with your help and kindness.

You can help by donating to PayPal or account number

Please share our story with anyone that you think can help our fundraiser. I am reaching out to everybody. Please support and help our cause.

Thank you all in advance, Sincerely

Lela Shurupova