Parents' Letter (April 16, 2012)
Our whole family — Dad, Mom, our daughter Katyusha (she is 7) — are asking you to give Leonid hope for recovery.
Leonid was born on June 5, 1996. His weight at birth was 2 730 g, length — 48 sm. He was developing normally according to his age. When Leonid was 4, his Dad left us. Several years later I remarried and my husband decided to adopt Leonid. At the lawyer's office my ex-husband legally surrended his parental rights.
We started preparing documents for the adoption. One of the documents we had to submit was Leonid's health certificate. During the check up Leonid was diagnosed with chronic viral hepatitis type B. But it didn't interfere with the adoption. Since then Leonid has been under regular medical checkup at the local outpatient clinic. The doctors never ordered any treatment. They said Leonid's treatment was keeping to a diet, avoiding stress and having a lot of rest. Leonid went to health resorts more than once, spent time at the seaside. But in 2012 the results of the tests showed that Leonid's condition had deteriorated again.
Now Leonid is in vocational school. Practising sports is contraindicated and Leonid wants so much to play soccer or work out in a gym.
The disease does not manifest itself visually — there's no pain, no physical defects, but there's always this fear inside: the fear of living like other people do. It's dangerous to eat chocolate, dangerous to have a piece of a birthday cake, dangerous to worry.
We appeal to all kind people for help. We cannot afford paying for the costly treatment. Any help will be appreciated. We hope for your understanding.
