Thank You For Helping My Sister

Hi everyone - my name is Grace, I started this fundraising campaign on behalf of my younger sister, Agnieszka, who lives in Poland. From birth, her life has been associated with hospitals, doctors, and pain. Despite everything life has thrown her way, she's always maintained a smile on her face. She has a magnetic attraction for friends and has always had plans and dreams for her future, despite fighting the physical limits her body gave her. She underwent her first operation when she was only a few months old. My parents did everything they could to find doctors who could help her. She spent many years going back and forth to Dr. Ilizarov's clinic in Siberia. She did suffered so much but was able to extend her leg 43cm.

 

 

 

 

My sister has devoted her adult life to helping others. She works as a psychologist in a chemotherapy ward. Every day, she supports her patients and their families with kind words and her huge heart. However, her health is deteriorating and her only remaining option is private treatment.

Dr. Paley trained under the guidance of Professor Ilizarov of Russia, who introduced the Ilizarov method to the United States and Canada. His clinic is based in Warsaw and he has agreed to help my sister.

It's difficult for me to fully grasp what awaits her, but here's a short rundown:

1. Osteotomy of the distal end of the femur

2. Osteotomy of the proximal femur

3. Implantation of the PRECiCE intramedullary nail into the left femur

4. Osteotomy of the proximal end of the left femur

5. Left femur stabilization with LCP plate
In my own words, Agnieszka will have a leg extended by 5 cm. Doctors will be blocking her knee, replacing her hip joint, which has been stiff almost all her life. Finally, her leg will be straightened.

 

Agnieszka has a special account at the SIEPOMAGA Foundation in Poland. However, even sending a small amount to Poland is extremely costly. To avoid these additional costs, I would like to collect all donations and send them to Poland together. The cost of only the very first operation, which is scheduled for spring 2022, is around $100,000. After that, another operation and a long rehabilitation await her. I thank everyone in advance for even the smallest support.

 

Below is a letter directly from my sister:

 

My name is Agnieszka Augustyn. Since I was born, I have been struggling with health problems related to my skeletal system. From the age of 6, I was treated at the clinic of prof. Ilizarov in Kurgan, where I had one leg extended by 43 cm (about a foot and a half) and had my entire hip joint reconstructed. At that time, no one in Poland knew of this treatment and did not use this method. I have undergone a total of 4 such surgeries, the last one in 2002. These are not traditional operations - they're actually months of extensive treatments and are enormously painful. However, the results were very good; my body functioned reasonably well for many years. During this time, I finished my studies (I am a psychologist by profession and work in a hospital with people suffering from cancer) and started a family. I gave birth to a son, who is now 12 years old. All this time, however, I had to undergo constant rehabilitation.

In recent years my condition has deteriorated significantly. I have started to experience severe pain associated with putting too much strain on my previously healthy leg. It also turned out that the knee joint in my elongated leg was completely destroyed in the process and is now completely immobile. My leg literally stiffened, twisted, and became several inches shorter. The damage to the joint made walking even more difficult and increased the pain. Each step is now a big challenge for me, and the pain prevents me from taking part in everyday activities.

Finding a doctor willing to take on such a complicated and multi-stage operation was a huge hurdle. Only the doctors at the European Institute, prof. Paley in Warsaw presented me with specific solutions. Unfortunately, the costs of treatment are huge and it is beyond my capacity to cover them.

I sincerely appreciate any help you are able to provide.

Szanowni Państwo,
Nazywam się Agnieszka Augustyn, od urodzenia borykam się z problemami zdrowotnymi dotyczącymi układu kostnego. Od 10rż leczyłam się w klinice prof. Ilizarowa w Kurganie, gdzie miałam wydłużaną o 43cm nogę oraz rekonsrtuowany staw biodrowy. W tamtym czasie w Polsce nikt jeszcze nie znał i nie stosował tej metody. Przeszłam łącznie 4 takie operacje, ostatnia w 2002roku.  Każda operacja, a raczej wielomiesięczne leczenie związane było z ogromnym bólem. Efekt był jednak bardzo dobry, przez wiele lat mogłam dobrze funkcjonować. W tym czasie skończyłam studia (z zawodu jestem psychologiem i pracuje w szpitalu z osobami chorymi na nowotwory),
założyłam rodzinę, urodziłam syna.  Przez cały ten czas, musiałam jednak być poddawana ciągłej rehabilitacji.
W ostatnich latach mój stan znacznie się pogorszył, zaczęłam doświadczać silnego bólu związanego z przeciążeniem dotąd zdrowej nogi.
Okazało się także, że staw kolanowy w wydłużanej nodze uległ całkowitemu zniszczeniu i obecnie jest zupełnie nieruchomy. Moja noga dosłownie zesztywniała, skrzywiła się i zrobiła krótsza o 4 cm. Uszkodzenie stawu spowodowało jeszcze większe problemy z chodzeniem i zwiększyło ból.
Obecnie każdy krok stanowi dla mnie duże wyzwanie, a ból uniemożliwia normalne/codzienne funkcjonowanie.
Niestety nikt nie chciał się podjąć się przeprowadzenia skomplikowanej I wieloetapowej operacji. Dopiero lekarze w Europejskim Instytucie prof. Paleya w Warszawie, przedstawili mi konkretne rozwiązania. Niestety koszty leczenia są ogromne. Do tego konieczna będzie specjalistyczna i długa rehabilitacja. Pokrycie tych kosztów przekracza moje możliwości....
Dlatego zwracam się z prośbą do wszystkich z Państwa, którzy mogliby i chcieli
pomóc mi żyć bez bólu, o przekazanie darowizn lub 1% na konto FUNDACJI
„Siepomaga”
Z góry serdecznie wszystkim dziękuję!

Fundacja „Siepomaga”
Numer KRS
0000396361
Cel szczegółowy 1%
0072140 Agnieszka Augustyn

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Fundacja  "Zdążyć z miłością"
ul. Jana z Kolna 10
75-204 Koszalin

NIP: 669-252-07-46
KRS: 0000496082
REGON: 321474554

Bank PKO SA 
09 1020 2791 0000 7702 0215 9796

z dopiskiem 
Darowizna dla Agnieszki Augustyn

 

Agnieszka Augustyn