Let's Help More Than 100 Children with Cancer

Childhood Cancer Fund Rugute, aiming to ensure efficient and effective treatment of children with cancer, continues to help purchase the medications that are important to these children, but are not covered by the state or are not supplied in Lithuania.

During June, July and August of 2015, Fund purchased a quantity of medicine Temozolomide Teva 100 mg and 20 mg for 1731,70 Eur. This medicine was used to treat two girls with CNS tumors. Fund also purchased a quantity of medicine Everolimus 2,5 mg for 1391,83 Eur, This new medicine is needed for Aiste P. who was recently diagnosed with malignant glioblastoma. Her doctors aim to try the new treatment scheme that has not been available in Lithuania until now.

Fund continues to work on improving psychological well-being of the little patients. In order to help them avoid pain and multiple peripheral catheter insertion procedures, Fund purchased 4 items of long-term central venous catheters and the special needles (130 items) for 1991,66 Eur.

Fund did not hesitate to come to aid for Aiste P., whose childhood was put on hold by a second strike of an oncological disease. Right after her fifth birthday, she came down with a seizure. The screening revealed that the girl was about to start a new fight, only this time with glioblastoma, a highly malignant brain tumor. Since the girl was also suspected to have Li-Fraumeni syndrome, she was not eligible for radiotherapy, therefore the doctors made a decision to treat her by chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Although immunotherapy is widely known around the world, this method of treatment is only making its first baby steps in Lithuania. Fund, aiming to give Aiste an opportunity to try this new method of treatment, allocated 15000,00 Eur for it.

A young cancer patient Edgaras V. who has had a long fight with an oncological disease, has another health issue (caused by long-term radiotherapy), fragility of his teeth. Fund allocated 1000,00 Eur for this boy to be treated by professional dentists.

In July Rugute made a 16 year old girl’s, named Ausrine K., dream come true by giving her a new smart phone iPhone 5s 32GB. From now on Ausrine will be able to communicate with her family and friends, to take and share photographs and to store lots of data. We are certain that this new gadget will provide Ausrine with more self-confidence among her pals and other teenagers. The phone cost 639,00 Eur.

On the 5th of July, 2015, a yearly event The Island of Friends took place in Sesuoleliu Manor. It was a day full of adventures for the children, and it also encouraged the families to communicate and to share their experience. We would like to share our lymphoblastic leukemia survivor Emilija’s impressions about this event: Although I am no longer a child, but I do look forward to this wonderful day – The Island of Friends – each year. It is so good to meet all the smiling volunteers, as well as my friends and their parents. As soon as I arrive to the venue, I am immediately greeted by welcoming looks and hugs. It is fun to feel the love in the air, the warmth and the joy around me! I would like to thank you for the unforgettable time spent together and for the smiles that will keep me warm for the rest of the year. My family and I say huge THANK YOU and are already looking forward for the next year’s Island!

Rugute continues to maintain its premises called Rugute’s Home. Children and their families are welcome to come here and stay for a night or two, whenever they need it. Fund organizes blood drives twice a year, and they also take place in Rugute’s Home. Mothers of the deceased children gather together for group sessions once in a while and they are also allowed to use the premises. All in all, it is a place where everyone who’s life has been touched by an oncological disease, is welcome and loved.

Thank you for staying with us in this long and difficult fight with childhood cancer. Thank you for having faith in what we do and for not losing hope. We are proud of our achievements, but we never forget, that it is our donors who make all those things happen. Thank you so much, and best regards to you, on behalf of our children and families!