By Giacomo Carlini | International Partnerships
Margarita is 3 years old and was born in Cherkasy, Ukraine. Her only relatives are her mother, grandmother, and her mother's aunt, who lives in the Rivne region. Her father abandoned them, and her grandfather has passed away.
Margo's mother, Liuba, is 24 years old. The birth was difficult and required an emergency cesarean section. After being discharged from the hospital, the grandmother took care of her daughter and granddaughter in the Vyshorod district of the Kyiv region. She rented an old house with wood heating and takes on any work she can find to support them. In the summer, for example, she is always busy picking blueberries and is the only one bringing income into the family.
Margarita fell ill when she was 6 months old. Suddenly, a rash appeared on her body. The family doctor prescribed an antihistamine, but the treatment did not help. The rash became increasingly severe: sometimes the skin would come off along with her clothes. Her mother became even more alarmed when Margarita's hemoglobin level dropped drastically. Those caring for her advised seeking specialists at Kyiv's Hospital No. 1, where an immunologist helped establish an accurate diagnosis: severe combined immunodeficiency. This condition entails extreme sensitivity to severe infections.
Margarita was treated under the supervision of an immunologist for a year and a half. Periodically, she felt better, but the illness never completely went away. The doctor warned Margarita's mother that the only chance to save her child was a bone marrow transplant. Margarita was then admitted to Okhmatdyt, where she successfully underwent the procedure: the donor cells are engrafting.
Margarita is gradually recovering. She loves flowers, bright clothes, dancing, playing with a ball, and building things with construction sets. She does not like dolls. Her favorite foods are her grandmother’s borsch and pancakes with cottage cheese, but she does not like porridge. She dreams of having a children's bicycle. She misses her gray cat, Sirko, who is waiting for her at home.
By Cassie Pontone | Social Media Manager for the US
By Cassie Pontone | Social Media Manager for the US
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