I was born dead

Eva was born on December 16, 2009 in 39th week of pregnant.

She was completely healthy until birth.

She was born with a severe asphyxia and a high hypoxia and ischemia of the brain: Apgar 0/0/2/4.

According to the Apgar scale a newborn is assessed.

Typically, children have 8-10 Apgar’s points.

Eva had:

0 points in the first minute,

0 points in the 3 minutes of life (she was born dead, she did not give any signs of life - she was limp, pale, no heart beating, no breathing),

2 points in the 5 minutes of life (heart started beating),

4 points in the 10 minutes of life (heart started beating and she had a normal color of skin).

Doctors fought for her life. She spent more than a month in the department of newborn pathology.

Since her birth, she was not sucking and swallowing reflex.

She still had salivations, nurse sucked off secretion all the time.

Daily hospital reports are records of Eva state: " very heavy state", "heavy state" ....

Doctors were preparing us for the worst, they said that if she survive, she will be a lying child.

We just cried and prayed. We thought that, this is only a bad dream…

Eva had a selective cooling of the brain - it is the only way which saves children with perinatal hypoxia.

However, hypoxia was so long that there has been irreversible damage to the Eva’s brain.

Eva was discharged from the hospital on January 18, 2010.

We immediately were covered by a hospice care (medical and nursing care 24 hours a day).

Eva was come by ambulance from the hospital; we could not arrive with our child by car to home like others happy parents.

We were afraid… Are we able to handle with this situation?!

In the hospital, we had the probe installation training (through the nose or mouth into the stomach).

We can say that now, we are specialists in this field.

Man is able to learn everything….if he has to…..we had to.

Eva has taken an anticonvulsant: luminal since 2 days old.

Unfortunately, after leaving the hospital epileptic seizures have increased; neurologist added next medications.

At one point of her life, she was taking four antiepileptic drugs.

Eva cried the first time when she was 3,5 weeks old.

We thought that we would never hear our child’s crying. Healthy children’ crying is the first signal of theirs appearance in the world.

We waited for this moment almost a month!

Eva still can’t eat alone, she has a problem with a swallowing.

Despite perpetual efforts we can’t change this state.

Unfortunately, brain damage is so severe that it has an effect on the basic function of life.

Food is given directly through the tube which is inserted in stomach by a hole in abdomen.

Our child does not speak – she just makes a sounds: “yyyy”, “eee”.

Will we ever hear: mom, dad? We still hope.

Eva beautifully smiles - she has a sweet, gleaming smile.

And when she laughs out loud…all sorrows and worries disappear…but unfortunately, they very fast return!

Eva has been rehabilitated since 3 weeks old.

She has a fantastic physical therapist, which has more than 20 years of experience in the rehabilitation of children.

This woman is certainly the best physical therapist in our city.

This therapist helps not only to Eva – but me too – thanks to her I have a strength to further fight, she gives me hope.

I can even say that she is like a family member…..I can talk her about everything, cry… she always gives me advise…

Eva makes progress thanks to intensive exercises.

Despite the weakened muscle tension, at the age of 6 months she has started to change her position from back to belly.

At the age of 12 months (exactly week before her first birthday) she sat down the first time!

At the age of 20 months, she has started to crawl and stand up using furniture.

She still has a problem with the control of head, but she has a great motivation to move and she wants to do it.

And even though her body refuses to obey, she does not giving up – brave girl!

Eva very weakly sees, she has a cortical visual impairment.

Same eyes are healthy, but the brain does not receive incentives which are visible by eyes.

She has a big sight defect and astigmatism.

Because of her illness, which in a high degree delays her psychomotor development, she requires the constant and intensive rehabilitation.

The private rehabilitation at home: cost $500 per month

In addition to the permanent rehabilitation at home, Eva needs to participate in a special program of therapy and rehabilitation in a form of 2-weeks stays, where she has an intensive improvement in a variety of therapeutic activities form.

The cost of these stays is $3,000

Since the age of 8 months, we apply the expensive amino acids treatment – costs $260 per month

In May 2011, I had started with Eva the therapy called Micropolarization.

This is a new method of treating brain. One series of treatment costs $200.

Maybe thanks to your help, we will be able to realized the Dolphin Therapy in Turkey in 2013 (costs: $6500 - therapy, flight costs, accommodation).

In the following years, stem cells are our chance. The transplant cost is $32,000 - only a one clinic in China executes these treatments.

These amounts terribly exceed the financial capacity of our family; therefore, trusting in your goodness, we would like to ask you for help.

Every dollar is very important for us.

Every dollar is a chance for Eva for a better future.

Could you help us?