Daniel finishes his chemotherapy
Cristina and Nicolai live in the capital city, Chisinau. Their son, Daniel, has been battling leukaemia since 2015. Daniel is recovering but he isn’t out of the woods. His chemotherapy is over but he still is in desperate need of medicine to regulate his condition. Cristina and Nicolai have gone to extra lengths to care for their family.
Nicolai works in the state bakery and Cristina was a children’s entertainer before having to take leave to care for Daniel. Their monthly income is around 600 € which goes towards their debts and food for the family. Cristina’s father and Nicolai’s mother live with them in their two bedroom apartment and their four children. The family are under great pressure to pay back a large debt that they inherited when Cristina’s mother died. The landlord is threatening to evict the family if they don’t pay and to add insult to injury, a few months ago Daniel’s condition worsened and needed intensive treatment in Chisinau cancer hospital. Cristina tells us she cannot imagine anything worse than having to care for Daniel when they have nowhere to live.
Krebsallianz stepped in to help Daniel receive his final rounds of chemotherapy, now aged eight, he has completed all of his rounds. He is able to return home and spend time with his brothers and sisters and make lego, one of his favourite past times.
The hardships that Daniel and his family face are far from over. Although cancer patients in Chisinau are closer to higher quality treatments than many other patients living in rural areas of Moldova, there is still a visible disparity in access and quality of medicines in Moldova and the rest of the developed world. Daniel needs a drug called Purinethol to remain stable while he is out of hospital. This drug is difficult to come by and extremely expensive to buy from abroad. Cristina was given some from generous patients on the cancer ward but oftentimes Daniel has had to go without because she simply cannot afford to pay for it.
For now, the family continues to work hard and keep Daniel healthy. On a recent Krebsallianz visit we met with Daniel, Cristina and Nicolai. They thanked us for our generous support.
