Sasha Emelkin

News 21.04.2004 We regret to inform you about the death of Sasha Emelkin. The boy died of pulmonary bleeding as a result of acute and rapidly developed graft vs. host disease. He spent his last days at the intensive care unit with his mother and hospital clown Kostya. While Sasha was still conscious, Kostya tried to support him in every way possible. We really hoped that Sasha would cope with all the difficulties, because it seemed that the main thing was over: the transplanted bone marrow started functioning. But the doctors failed to suppress the acute GVHD in spite of all their efforts. Unfortunately, we can only remind that marrow transplantation is a very dangerous procedure in itself and may be performed only if the patient's chances for survival without it are zero. Given the present state of medicine, it is still impossible to foresee and prevent all complications that may emerge after the transplantation... 24.01.2006 We thank the editors of the Vremechko TV show, which promptly responded to our plea for help concerning fundraising for unrelated marrow transplantation to Sasha Emelkin. In spite of the terrible frost, hundreds of Muscovites who had seen this TV program came and brought various sums of money in cash. The total sum thus raised is even larger than Sasha needs, and so the remaining money will be used to pay for further in-hospital treatment of Mantas Lavrenovas from the Department of Oncology.

How do you do! My name is Tamara Emelkina. My son Alexander (Sasha) is a boy of six. He is gravely ill, and I have to ask for your help. We live in the town of Orenburg. I am a teacher at a kindergarten (which means a very low salary in Russia), and my husband is a repairman. Sasha was born in 1999. For a year, everything was all right. But then the tiny kid fell ill, and so gravely that he was taken to the resuscitation ward. It turned out that he had a terrible congenital disease: primary immunodeficiency. Since that time, the boy fell ill over and over again and went through numerous surgeries. The only thing that keeps him alive is immunoglobulin therapy. In spite of everything, Sasha is a merry and playful child. He can read a little by himself, but his favorite occupation is drawing. Recently Sasha developed a grave hepatic disorder, which is due to his main disease. And now the only chance to save Sasha's life is bone marrow transplantation. This operation should be performed as soon as possible; otherwise our boy will die of liver insufficiency. This operation is very expensive. We cannot raise the necessary sum ourselves. Only you can help us save our child's life. 14.01.2006 The doctor's comment Sasha Emelkin, aged 6, has been under observation at the Department of Clinical Immunology, Russian Children's Clinical Hospital, since 2003. The boy's diagnosis is primary immunodeficiency. This condition is regarded as not competely compatible with life, because severe recurrent infections do not allow the child to study, to play, to lead a normal life. Another consequence of primary immunodeficiency is a progressively developing hepatic disorder. In Sasha's case, it develops fairly fast and will inevitably become fatal. The boy is smart and active. Just as all kids, he dreams of playing and cycling, of going to school. But his illness prevents him from all this. The only way to stop the destruction of the liver and to save the child is to cure the primary immunodefiency. Presently the only way to achieve this is marrow transplantation. It will give him a real chance to get rid of the congenital disease and to live just as healthy children of the same age should live. Since Sasha has no siblings, he needs transplantation from an unrelated donor. Head of Department of Clinical Immunulogy, RCCH, Dr. Irina V. Kondratenko.   Donate on-line