It started on a typical night — the kind filled with minor, everyday concerns and soft laughter. Their 3.5-year-old son, Jaś, awoke in tears, gripping his leg in agony. Initially, his parents dismissed it as something trivial, perhaps growing pains or a muscle strain. However, by morning, that seemingly innocent discomfort would mark the beginning of a nightmare that would alter their lives forever.
Following a visit to the pediatrician and a referral to the hospital, they received news that no parent is ever ready to hear. On December 5th, doctors looked them in the eyes and declared, “Your son has a malignant tumor. Stage IV neuroblastoma.”
Their world came to a halt.
“We couldn’t believe it,” recalls Jaś’s mother. “Just yesterday he was running, playing, laughing — full of energy. And suddenly… suddenly, everything became about survival.”
From that moment on, every second turned into a battle — not only against the illness but also against despair. Neuroblastoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer, had already spread throughout Jaś’s body. The journey ahead would be long, painful, and uncertain. Yet, his parents vowed: they would not surrender.
“Every moment of helplessness, every time we see him in pain, it shatters us,” his father states. “But we have one mission — to save our child. We will fight for his life with everything we possess.”
Jaś’s treatment commenced immediately. The first phase: chemotherapy, intended to reduce the tumor and slow its progression. The medications are potent — and harsh. His small body weakens with each cycle, his immune system falters, and his once-lively hair falls out. Yet, even amid fatigue and nausea, Jaś remains courageous. He holds his mother’s hand during blood draws, whispers that he’ll be “strong like Daddy,” and smiles through the tears.
Doctors have laid out the complete plan — a path filled with obstacles but also hope.
If the chemotherapy proves effective, surgery will follow — an operation to remove as much of the tumor as possible. It’s a risky step, but a necessary one. Every cell removed brings Jaś closer to survival.
Subsequently, immunotherapy will be administered — a contemporary treatment designed to bolster his body’s defenses against cancer. This stage offers hope to many families when all else has failed.
Finally, at the conclusion of his arduous treatment, Jaś will require a special vaccine — one that could prevent the cancer from returning. This vaccine, developed overseas, is one of the few means to protect children like Jaś from relapse. However, it comes with a staggering price tag.
“We dream of the day when we can utter the word ‘cured,’” his mother says softly. “But we can’t reach that point without assistance. The treatment that can save his life is beyond our financial means.”
Between hospital visits, medications, specialized tests, and travel, the costs are overwhelming. Every donation, every act of kindness, becomes another thread in the lifeline keeping their little boy in the fight.
Jaś has already faced more than most adults will in a lifetime — endless needles, transfusions, and days connected to machines. Yet he still greets his doctors with a shy wave and asks when he can go outside to play again. He longs for the playground, his friends, his toys. He dreams of birthdays, of cake and candles and laughter — things most children take for granted.
His parents, though weary and frightened, cling to that dream as well. “We just want him to live,” his father expresses. “To run again. To be free of pain. To have a future.”
Neuroblastoma has robbed Jaś of much of his childhood, but it hasn’t extinguished his spirit. His strength, courage, and smile have become the beacon guiding his family through the darkest times.
Now, they’re reaching out for one thing — help.
Every contribution, no matter how small, brings Jaś closer to the treatment that could save him. Every act of generosity provides him with another opportunity to fight, to grow, to live.
“We believe in miracles,” his mother states. “And we believe in the kindness of people. Please help us give our son that miracle.”
Because behind every donation is a heartbeat — and for little Jaś, every heartbeat is significant.
Together, we can assist him in winning this battle and grant him the most precious gift of all: a future.
