Help Cancer Patients Access Medications!

Victoria was born in 1976 in the beautiful city of Tbilisi, a capital of Republic of Georgia. She studied at Tbilisi State University where she obtained a degree in philology and dedicated her life to studying and teaching English language and literature.

For the past 25 years, she shared her knowledge with others, working as a translator, educator, and running a private practice. She ignited the spark of curiosity in thousands of minds of her students, helping them not only master the language but also discover the beauty and depth of English culture.

Victoria is not only a strict and disciplined teacher but also a loving wife, caring mother, and a loyal support for her elderly parents. She balances work and family, and, if there is time left, indulges in reading books and enjoying music.

In 2023, Victoria faced a serious trial - her lung cancer diagnosis. However, she did not give up, fighting for her life with the same determination and resolve with which she teaches and inspires others. Victoria is a person who not just lives but sparkles with life, filling it with love and creativity.

Recently, Viktoria learned that cancer spread to her brain. She had already undergone a number of procedures, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. At this point, Tagrisso, a new cancer drug, is the best option for Viktoria and can significantly increase her chances of survival.

Victoria has already started taking Tagrisso 80 mg. The medication is showing initial success and slowing the progression of the disease. There is a chance that Tagrisso could not only control the disease but also defeat it. However, Victoria can barely afford to take this medication on a regular basism, as the cost of a 12-month treatment with Tagrisso 80 mg is over $50,000.

Her illness has been a shock for her elderly parents and daughter. Desperately, they are raising funds by selling what they can and knocking on every door where help may be found. Our project provided $1,000 to Viktoria to help her purchase the medication, but with your help, we would love to do more for Viktoria and others like her!

On July 10, starting at 9 am EDT, you can help us raise even more funds thanks to the bonus match opportunity provided by GlobalGiving! The July Bonus Day 2024 campaign will have a Matching Fund of $100,000 (limited to $2,000 per organization).

While funds remain, the following matching structure will apply:

• Donations of $100 - $499 USD will be matched at 20%
• Donations of $500 - $749 USD will be matched at 30%
• Donations of $750 - $1,000 USD will be matched at 40%

We hope you can support us now or on July 10th and help us bring more help to cancer patients in the former Soviet Union!

Tolegen is 8 years old.  In his native Kazakhstan, Tolegen was a thriving 2nd grader who loved reading and playing with Legos when he fell and injured his head in March 2023.  Instead of improving, a few days later he began vomiting and feeling dizzy. When taken to a doctor, he was initially treated for poisoning, but continued getting worse rapidly. 

An MRI scan showed that Tolegen had a brain tumor.  Locally, the doctors believed that he had time to wait and added him to the surgery waiting list.  However, Tolegen's mom obtained a second opionion from the neurosurgeons in Turkey who believed the tumor to be very aggressive and insisted on the urgent operation.  They were right - the tumor grew 50% in the span of a week, and Tolegen lost ability to walk. 

Tolegen's family brought him to Turkey where the surgery took place in April.  Due to a difficult to reach location of the tumor, only part of the tumor could be removed safely.  The testing revealed that Tolegen suffered from diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), an aggressive  and very rare type of childhood cancer that forms in the brainstem.  Tolegen had to undergo standard radiation therapy and chemotherapy to try to prevent the tumor regrowth, and based on the genetic testing of the tumor sample, he was also recommended a treatment with a targeted medication.  

Thanks to your support of the project, we were able to help Tolegen's mom obtain this medication in a pharmacy in Germany.  As a single mom who also has another young child, she is deeply grateful to everyone whose help allowed Tolegen access this treatment.  While he still has a difficult battle ahead, your support gave his family the time to reach out to the clinics in the United States where this rare tumor has been better studied. 

We really appreciate your support for patients like Tolegen and hope you continue to make a difference in their lives!