My dear friends, family, colleagues, and network, my name is Gracie. I decided to reach out to all people of good heart and faith- asking for support and financial help fighting a cancer battle for my dear friend and a family member, whom I grew up with since kindergarten age back home in Serbia, my home country.

Slobodan Kostic was born on October 5th, 1990. At the age of 15, he started to work and study, to become someone and help his family. He worked from a young age, but he never complained about being tired, or sick, he would always keep that smile and keep pushing. We grew up with many wars, and many difficulties, but we would always fight for a better future.

Slobodan is an athlete, who loves to travel, climb mountains, and ski.

His peace was interrupted and his life took an unexpected shift 6 months ago when he went to the Institute of Dental Medicine in Belgrade, for a small wound that would not heal for the past 2 months. Dr Drago Jelovac told him right away that he suspected it to be a malign tumor but we refused to believe. ( Diag: Carcinoma planocellulare infiltratum, dimensions 7x5mm)

Next appointments were made for biopsy, radiology, and scanners at the government hospitals in Belgrade, Serbia. All the analysis came back as we were afraid - POSITIVE.

Slobodan had to pay out of pocket about $16.000 for the surgery that was scheduled and performed on July 6th, 2024 at the Atlas Clinic in Belgrade, Serbia. The surgery is requested to be done as soon as possible to avoid further metastasis. This surgery was 12 hours long, performed in two blocks by 6 hours, and extremely complicated because it affected the neck and mouth lymph nodes and nerves, vocal cords, and speech ability, leaving my dear friend Slobodan with months of recovery, unable to work, unable to be there for his family, and unable to eat properly.

We hoped that this would be the last procedure, but after he went for a check-up, the doctors found another lymph node affected. Now we are going for radiation therapy, 5 cycles, which means Slobodan has to spend 5 days in a hospital in Belgrade, isolated, then 2 days at home until the cycles are completed. Slobodan and his family are facing another ~ $15.000 in hospital bills and recovery until the end of this year.

I humbly ask everyone who knows what this battle means and knows me as a friend and a person to help raise these funds and help a young man continue his life, create a family, and continue to fight.

Kindly,

Graciela Dura