Hi world,

My name is Mateja and I was born prematurely on November 7, 2023 in Sombor , Serbia. Let me share my story with you.

Nestled snugly within the warm confines of my mommy’s tummy, I enjoyed every moment of my early development. Every day brought new sensations, the gentle rhythm of my mommy’s heartbeat giving me security and lulling me into a peaceful slumber.

But one fateful day, as I drifted in the tranquility of my sanctuary, something changed. A sudden rush of movement, a sharp pang of pain, and then... blood. It painted the walls of my sanctuary crimson, a stark contrast to the peaceful haven I had known.

Confusion and fear washed over me as I struggled to make sense of what was happening. I could feel the panic rising within my mommy, her heart pounding in sync with my own. Desperate whispers filled the air as she sought help, her voice trembling with worry.

In that moment, I knew that the world outside was not as safe as I had once believed. But even as fear threatened to overwhelm me, I clung to the hope that somehow, someway, we would emerge from this trial unscathed.

I came into the world 2 months sooner than expected, my tiny body fighting for every breath. As I lay there, surrounded by beeping monitors and hushed whispers, I longed for the warmth of my parents' embrace, and the laughter of my sister echoing through our home.

But my journey took an unexpected turn when the doctors discovered complications affecting my fragile brain. Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, as I fought to overcome the odds stacked against me. Each day brought new challenges, but also new hope that someday I would be strong enough to go home.

As the weeks stretched on, my family's visits became the highlight of my day. I could see the worry on their faces, but also love shining in their eyes. They longed to hold me close, to shower me with kisses, but the wires and tubes connecting me to machines kept us apart. Due to my present health issues, the hospital which could help me is miles away from our home, so they struggle to come and see me every day. This hurts.

And so, together with my parents, I find myself reaching out to you, dear friend, with a plea for help. Your generosity can make all the difference in the world, bringing me one step closer to the loving embrace of my family and to my full health. It will also provide funds for my necessary medicine, diverse therapies and travel expenses so I can recover, regain strength and function as any other healthy boy. With your support, I can leave this sterile hospital room behind and begin the journey home, where I belong.

Please help me write the next chapter of my story. Together, we can turn this tale of struggle into one of triumph and love.

With love,

Mateja

Zdravo svete,

Zovem se Mateja i rođen sam prevremeno 7. novembra 2023 godine u Somboru u Srbiji. Želim da podelim moju priču s vama.

Smešten u toplini maminog stomaka, uživao sam u svakom trenutku svog ranog razvoja. Svaki dan je donosio nove osećaje, a nežni ritam otkucaja maminog srca davao mi je sigurnost i uljuljkivao me u miran san.

Ali jednog sudbonosnog dana, dok sam uživao u miru svoje sigurnosti, nešto se promenilo. Iznenadni nalet oštrog bola, a onda... krv. Obojila je zidove mog utočišta u grimizno, oštar kontrast mirnom okruženju koje sam poznavao.

Obuzeli su me zbunjenost i strah dok sam se borio da shvatim šta se dešava. Mogao sam da osetim kako panika raste u mojoj mami. Njeno srce usplahireno je kucalo u skladu sa mojim. Očajnički šapat ispunio je vazduh dok je tražila pomoć, a glas joj je drhtao od brige.

U tom trenutku sam znao da spoljni svet nije tako bezbedan kao što sam nekada verovao. Ali iako je strah pretio da me obuzme, držao sam se nade da ćemo nekako izaći iz ove nevolje nepovređeni.

Došao sam na svet 2 meseca ranije nego što se očekivalo, a moje malo telo se borilo za svaki dah. Dok sam ležao, okružen zvucima monitora i prigušenim šapatom, čeznuo sam za toplinom roditeljskog zagrljaja i za smehom moje sestre koji je odzvanjao našim domom.

Ali moje putovanje se neočekivano okrenulo kada su lekari otkrili komplikacije koje utiču na moj krhki mozak. Dani su se pretvorili u nedelje, a nedelje u mesece, dok sam se borio da prevaziđem sve komplikacije koje su bile protiv mene. Svaki dan je donosio nove izazove, ali i novu nadu da ću jednog dana biti dovoljno jak da odem kući.

Kako su se nedelje odmicale, posete moje porodice postale su vrhunac mog dana. Mogao sam da vidim brigu na njihovim licima, ali i ljubav kako im sija u očima. Čeznuli su da me drže uz sebe, da me obaspu poljupcima, ali cevčice koje su me povezivale sa mašinama razdvajale su nas. Zbog mojih sadašnjih zdravstvenih problema, bolnica koja je mogla da mi pomogne je kilometrima udaljena od naše kuće, tako da se svakodnevno bore da me vide. Ovo boli.

I tako, zajedno sa svojim roditeljima, dolazim do tebe, dragi prijatelju, sa molbom za pomoć. Tvoja velikodušnost može da donese potpunu promenu, dovodeći me korak bliže zagrljaju moje porodice i mom punom zdravlju. Takođe će obezbediti sredstva za moje neophodne lekove, različite terapije i putne troškove kako bih se oporavio, povratio snagu i funkcionisao kao svaki drugi zdrav dečak. Uz vašu podršku, mogu da napustim ovu sterilnu bolničku sobu i da krenem na put kući, gde pripadam.

Molim vas pomozite mi da napišem sledeće poglavlje mog životnog iskustva. Zajedno možemo pretvoriti ovu priču o borbi u priču o trijumfu i ljubavi.

Sa ljubavlju,

Mateja