05.12.2019

The clinic's bill for the kidney transplant operation came to 140000 euros. 43358 euros had been raised, but the fundraiser was closed on  7 September  2018, because a letter of guarantee arrived from the German foundation Ein Herz fur Kinder, which paid the sum that was missing.

Anton's kidney transplant was carried out on 28 August 2019. The child feels well and his kidney tests are good, but Anton must now take immunosuppressants every day so that the kidney is not rejected.

Thank you to all the people who care and who have helped and go on helping Anton!

Sincerely, Svitlana Khomenko.

25.05.2018

A little news about Anton. 

Our examination in the urology department of the Regional Children's Clinical Hospital has concluded. Anton's ultrasound results are slightly better than before. However, there is a dilated renal pelvis in his right kidney, which wasn't there before. However, both kidneys have increased in size, contrary to the doctors' predictions that the left kidney had shriveled and wouldn't grow. We're glad his liver is fine. Anton previously had an enlarged spleen, but now everything is fine. I don't want to talk about the tests; we get them regularly, and they're not encouraging... At least the urine test used to be better, but now there are a lot of deviations from the norm. Anton was diagnosed with high blood sugar. He had to retake the urine test for sugar. We were also prescribed the Zimnitsky urine test. We spent a whole day collecting urine, every three hours, and collected more 20 jars... The tests were difficult for Anton. There are long lines for diagnostics everywhere  My son wasn't allowed to drink before lunch, and with his stomas (catheters), it's very difficult to tolerate thirst. But Anton still needs to be examined by all the specialists at the clinic. Yesterday we had a consultation with a cardiologist, and then he'll need to see many more doctors. My son asked to see only one specialist a day, — it's difficult for him. The treatment remains the same for now, except the medication doses have increased.

The school year is ending, and Anton is taking tests in all his subjects. He's doing homework little by little because he's tired and really looking forward to the holidays. In this state, studying is no fun. He was taking a music exam and was called on stage first. He was very nervous, got a little confused while playing the piano, but he passed the exam well. 
Anton and I wish all our benefactors peace, goodness, and prosperity!

Sincerely, Svetlana Khomenko

13.12.2017 

Due to the child's mother not sending reports on parallel collections, the foundation's management has decided to close the fundraising request to the CF's bank account "Little Bee" for Anton Khomenko. The fund will use the collected funds to purchase necessary medications.

05.12.2017 

Good afternoon, our dear friends! I'm sharing more news about Anton. In two weeks, his phosphorus level has risen to 2,47 with a normal level of 1, 45 mmol/L. So, as before, Anton is taking a large number of medications, and we're back to a life of testing, swarming with tests. – Every two weeks, we have to retake tests, as it's essential to monitor his results.

On Tuesday, Anton was in a really bad way. At first, he refused to eat dinner because he was nauseous, then he started vomiting heavily and had chills. My husband ran to the pharmacy that night for an antiemetic because we couldn't stop the vomiting. We didn't get to sleep until the morning. He coughed all night and had stomach pain. The next day, Anton was feeling a little better. But his stomach hurt and he ate very little. Renagel should be taken with meals three times a day, but he didn't want to eat anything. He had no fever all day, and by the evening – 37,2. Today we went to the hospital, and Anton was examined by three surgeons. His stomach is soft, nothing requiring surgery was found. They asked him to be observed. It's possible he may have muscle strain after severe vomiting. 

His tube system is working fine, except that both tubes are leaking heavily and the dressings need to be changed frequently. There are some sores on the right side of his skin, and the nurse treated them with brilliant green. When they remove the bandage, Anton is in a lot of pain; I hope it heals soon. 
We've canceled school for now, but we'll catch up later. The most important thing is that Anton feels well. School isn't as important as his health right now.
Dear supporters, please support our son!
Anton needs your support now more than ever. God bless you!

24.10.2017

Good afternoon, our dear friends! A little news about Anton.

Antoshka and I had a rather difficult week. His tubes weren't working very well. The left tube was completely "off-kilter"nothing was coming through it, and his side was so wet I couldn't keep up with changing his dressings. Monday was a day off at the hospital, and on Tuesday I had to go to school and the hospital for a dressing change. This is a lot of stress for Anton. And then, last night, he started having bladder problems – a sharp pain on the left side. This was the first time I'd experienced this kind of pain since the surgery to cut the posterior urethral valve. I had to give him painkillers. The next day, everything was back to normal. I consulted with the doctor to know how to handle such situations, although I really want it to never happen again. Anton already sleeps poorly because of the tubes, and he needs to grow. Fall has only just begun, and my son has already recovered from a cold, and he still has a cough.

We had some tests done. His kidney counts are the same as before, and we're glad they haven't worsened. We were worried about his hemoglobin, because colds usually eat up iron, and we were regularly injected with Recormon. His hemoglobin count is – 113 normal for Anton. We checked his TSH, but unfortunately, it's much higher than normal. So Anton will have to take more medication.… Due to his illness, my son missed a lot of classes.                    
Anton's school hasn't been canceled. It's as if the teachers are competing to see who can assign the most lessons. The workload at school is extremely heavy. Anton passed his music test, getting an excellent grade in etude – "", and a good grade in sight-reading –  ". Anton's lack of practice and playing new pieces of music are having an impact. Regardless, he's trying hard, and his teachers praise him in all subjects. I see how difficult it can be for my son at times, so I give him a chance to relax. 
A huge thank you to all our supporters for their active involvement in Anton's life! We'd like to express our special gratitude to Charity Foundation " Little Bee" for providing medications. We couldn't cope without your help. Thank you for staying with us.

13.04.2017

"Hello, dear supporters. I'd like to share some news about Anton. His health is satisfactory. He has to have tests every two weeks because he has a calcium-phosphorus metabolism disorder. We also have to closely monitor his other indicators monthly. Therefore, they often draw five vials of Anton's blood. The procedure is unpleasant, and he often feels unwell. Anton worries about each test and hopes for them to improve. Only then will the doctor be able to reduce the amount of medication he takes. Unfortunately, his phosphorus levels are still high. Anton follows all the doctor's orders, regularly takes numerous medications, and tolerates the injections. We constantly monitor his blood pressure and strictly adhere to his diet. Thanks to the growth hormone injections, Anton has grown a little, but at the same time, our stoma problem has become more acute. His sides are constantly wet. We have to regularly re-apply and change the dressings, sometimes even at night, because we're worried about stomas. Anton does his homework as best he can, taking frequent rest breaks, and strives to study well. He also studies music. We sincerely congratulate everyone on the upcoming bright holiday of Easter. We wish everyone peace, kindness, health, and prosperity." Svetlana Khomenko

10.09.2016

"A little news about Anton. The ten-day course of treatment to restore his phosphorus-calcium metabolism has been completed. We've had some tests done. After taking 8 Renagel tablets daily, Anton's phosphorus levels have finally started to decrease. Anton hasn't taken any calcium for the last 10 days. And his calcium levels have also decreased. We've now been prescribed a combination of calcium and Renagel. Anton's condition fluctuates. Sometimes he feels fine, but other times, especially in the evenings, he's plagued by nausea, preventing him from sleeping. Today we went to the urology department for a dressing change. Overall, Anton's tubing is working fine, except for the left stoma that stops working occasionally. This evening, Anton will receive a Recarmon injection, as his hemoglobin has dropped again. When Anton feels more or less well, we try to take him for walks in the fresh air. Yesterday, we took him to the sea. He's not allowed to swim. He just spent a little time in the sun. Given his vitamin D deficiency, this is beneficial, and he got some fresh air. A huge thank you to all our supporters for supporting our son. May he always be healthy and happy."

15.06.2016

"Unfortunately, there's not much good news. We've had some tests done, and the results are not encouraging. All his kidney indicators have worsened. His phosphorus continues to rise, and we've already been prescribed 5 Renagel tablets, and his parathyroid hormone has increased again to 505 pr/ml. Lately, Anton hasn't been tolerating blood tests well; they're drawing a lot of blood, and his nausea is getting worse. I had to rush him outside to keep him from vomiting in the lab. We sat outside for a long time until he came to. He's also experiencing pain in his right side. His stoma has become inflamed, and the pain gets worse with movement. He'll need to take antibiotics; yesterday, when they changed his stoma, he was in a lot of pain, despite the anesthesia. I had to leave him home alone. We had to go to Kotovsky Street twice to order orthopedic shoes for him. He's coped well. As usual, we're following all the doctor's orders, which change monthly depending on the test results. We made an appointment with N.B. Zelinskaya, the chief pediatric endocrinologist. There are always very long lines, so Anton will have to endure this again. I am eternally grateful to all our supporters for your help with my son!"

09.12.2015

"Last week, Anton had his tests done. The results leave much to be desired. Levels such as parathyroid hormone, creatinine, and urea are tens of times higher than normal. Yesterday, we consulted with the nephrologists. Our medication dosage was adjusted again. Adjustments are required every two weeks. In two weeks, we will need to have more tests to closely monitor the treatment progress. Our little Antoshka is tired of injections, numerous medications, enemas, absorbents, laxatives, and regular testing. But without all this, his condition would have been even worse. Therefore, we are encouraging Anton to take a constructive approach to treatment. He is completing his homework as best he can. We still have to cut lessons short frequently because Anton tires quickly during his studies. Our boy also tries to take music lessons. Now our son is diligently preparing for his exams. He plays "Minuet" Bach and a cheerful piece "Vacation". A heartfelt thank you to all our supporters who regularly support our son emotionally, informationally, and financially."  

13.08.2015

After returning from Germany, Anton's blood biochemistry parameters related to phosphorus-potassium metabolism have improved somewhat, as the German doctors adjusted his treatment. However, the main kidney function indicators – creatinine and urea – remain very high. Anton is very afraid of being transferred to dialysis. Last week, Anton had a routine checkup at the urology department of the Regional Children's Clinical Hospital and a specialist examination at the district clinic so he could pass the VKK commission and arrange home schooling. Unfortunately, the boy caught a cold there. He has a runny nose and a cough. Due to the heat, his right stoma became inflamed. It causes  pain, especially after the dressing. Anton is following all the doctors' orders. He is very tired from the numerous medications, strict diet, and injections, but he is trying to stay strong. Thank you all for the financial, informational, and emotional support for the boy!

28.06.2015

Anton and his mother returned home. Two days before their return, Anton's temperature rose to 39,7 and he began vomiting severely. He was unable to take his fever-reducing medication and was on an IV for 24 hours.  The medical staff was very attentive, friendly, and, most importantly, responsible. A nurse visited the boy's room eight times that night, taking his temperature and monitoring his IV. Before prescribing antibiotics, Anton had his blood tested. He was discharged with a fever 38,5 and given a French antibiotic to take home. Anton felt well on the flight. His nausea even subsided. At home, his mood has improved, but he is still lethargic and eating poorly. He lost two kilograms in a week and is nauseous. 

An examination revealed that Anton's kidney function was only at 10%. In Belarus, they had already suggested switching to dialysis in January. Professor Uwe Querfeld recommended switching to dialysis if Anton's kidney function remained at only 5% or if his potassium rose to 7 units. He insisted on peritoneal dialysis despite the stomas, as hemodialysis would completely stop the child's growth. On the first day of his stay, German doctors visited the boy in the ward as if on a tour. They examined Anton's stomas. They don't perform stomas like that. They highly praised our doctor, Yuri Alekseevich, because thanks to him, Anton was able to preserve bladder function. 

18.06.2015

13 On June 17, Anton and his mother flew to the Charité Clinic in Germany for an examination and treatment planning.  
From a letter from Anton's mother, Svetlana:
"Antoshka is very worried. He's remembering Belarus – he's a little scared. We have to encourage him, reassuring him that everything will be fine. Anton is feeling well. Before the trip, his body was thoroughly cleansed. The dressing change in the urology department at the Regional Children's Hospital was very touching. Both the doctor and the nurse, to whom Anton is very attached, spent a long time seeing us off with kind words. They are wonderful people who have invested so much warmth in my son. We hope that our trip to Germany will be more successful and will help Anton get closer to recovery." 

07.04.2015

Anton's health remains unchanged. He frequently complains of nausea, weakness, and fatigue. Because his left stoma (tube) is not functioning properly, they began inserting it deeper. This creates additional discomfort. The stoma is secured with a bandage and sealed with a leoped. His skin breathes poorly and he experiences itching. Due to intoxication, Anton eats poorly. Dietary food doesn't improve his appetite. He dreams of eating a large piece of meat or fish. Anton often asks "Do I have to take so many medications for the rest of my life?"The boy's mother doesn't know what to say, because even after a transplant, patients are forced to take medication constantly to prevent kidney rejection. She consoles Anton by saying that he is not on dialysis and is trying to maintain a good mood and not lose heart.

13.02.2011

Anton and his mother have come back to Odesa. During their last week in Minsk the boy had the same acid-base blood test taken every day. Because the readings improved, Anton and his mother were allowed to go home. The examination found that the boy has nephrocalcinosis, severe hyperarteriosis with bone deformities and a small developmental anomaly of the heart. He also had twenty-four-hour blood pressure monitoring, which revealed raised pressure, although an ordinary measurement did not show it. Anton and his mother travelled to Belarus hoping that his ureterostomies (tubes) would be removed, but they were refused the operation to reconstruct the ureters and bladder, because Anton's state of health is grave. Instead a small operation was carried out to incise the urinary canal, and it was recommended that both of the child's kidneys be removed and that he be put on dialysis until the transplant. The boy's mother categorically refused to do this. The doctor spoke about it in the child's presence, after which Anton had a very severe nervous breakdown. For three days his hands were gripped by cramps. It took a great deal of effort to bring his emotional state back to normal. All the procedures — ultrasound, X-ray, cystoscopy and the operation under anaesthesia — made Anton's general condition worse. He found the journey hard; he vomited on the train. At home his temperature rose and symptoms of a cold appeared. Anton's parents are doing everything they can to get him back on his feet. They also express their enormous gratitude to everyone for their attention and for the moral and financial support of their child.

10.02.2014

Anton and his mother are still at the clinic in Belarus for examination. Every day the boy has to give a large number of different samples for tests, many of them quite painful. He has had ultrasound scans of many organs, X-rays and much else. The test results are not very good. The medical staff are using various drugs to improve them. On Wednesday Antosha had to go through quite a painful procedure - cystoscopy of the bladder. It was done under general anaesthesia. All these procedures have far from the best effect on the child's health. Anton often cries and asks to go home. From Monday, most likely, the examination regarding the possibility of a kidney transplant will begin. Thank you for your support and attention!

22.01.2014

"After a viral infection Anton's test results sharply worsened. His creatinine level rose to 603 mmol/l. Other biochemical readings worsened too. Anton's bowel was working badly and he refused to eat. There was constant vomiting. With such readings peritoneal dialysis is indicated. But since the deterioration followed an infection, he was given conservative treatment, thanks to which Anton's health improved. We are getting his bowel working, following all the doctors' instructions and taking a great many medicines. Anton complains of weakness, of tiring quickly, of poor appetite and sleep, and of itching skin. When his condition improves, we try to walk with him in the fresh air. We try to avoid contact with other people, as Anton's immunity is weak. We have decided to go to Belarus with an incomplete sum. Of the 21 000$ needed, 7 000$ is still missing.  We want to believe that this sum will be enough for the examination regarding a kidney transplant and for the reconstructive operation. Thank you all for your support and help for our son". 

12.11.2014

From a letter by Anton's mother about the examination and the further steps in Anton's treatment:
"In a telephone conversation and in the preliminary bill, V. I. Dubrov, head of urology at the 2nd children's clinical hospital of Minsk, explained that since our child has had stomas for 10 years and his bladder is not working, he needs, besides the examination regarding a kidney transplant, two operations to reconstruct the bladder and the ureters in order to remove the stomas. The cost of each of these operations is (from 2000$ to 7000$). That is, for the trip to Belarus 21000$ has to be available. If the reconstructive operations require less than 14000$, the remainder of this money will go towards the transplant operation. If the examination is done and only one reconstructive operation is carried out, then for the second one a full repeat examination of the urinary system will be needed. The sum raised so far is enough for the examination and partly for one reconstructive operation."

31.10.2014

"Hello, dear friends. On Tuesday we had tests done. Anton waited for the results with great impatience, but unfortunately they had worsened (blood creatinine rose to 412 mcmol/l, and haemoglobin fell to 104 units). Thanks to the massage sessions Anton has become calmer and more relaxed, his blood pressure and pulse have improved and his legs hurt less, although the child moves about more. Anton still cannot get used to the orthoses. He sleeps in them for only half the night. Even after the orthoses are taken off his knees ache. Antoshka still has weakness, tiredness, poor appetite and itching skin. All the same we try not to lose heart. Anton is looking forward impatiently to the trip to Belarus and dreams that his tubes will be removed. One more push and the first stage of the fundraiser will be closed. Thank you to everyone who is with us."

17 October 2014

Anton's state of health is unchanged. He still tires quickly and has weakness, nausea, swings in blood pressure and a rapid pulse. Because of the high level of creatinine in his blood, severe itching of the skin has appeared. Antosha has a poor appetite and his constipation has worsened. The child sleeps badly. The only good thing is that his legs hurt less. That lets the child move about more, and walking stimulates the work of the kidneys. Even so, Anton manages to study both at his ordinary school and at music school.

10 October 2014

Yesterday we were at urology for a dressing change. Unfortunately, our nurse has gone on holiday and the new nurse does not know how to do the dressing. Because of this Antosha's right side hurts. On the whole Anton's state of health is satisfactory. There are swings in blood pressure, his pulse is constantly raised, and the nausea, weakness and tiredness remain. That is why the child does his homework as far as his strength and abilities allow. His psychological and emotional state is a worry. Anton often gets upset over anything at all. He is irritated by tiring quickly and by weakness. We thank everyone for their attention and support.

24 September 2014

A letter from Anton's mother:

"Anton's legs were hurting badly, but now the situation has improved. We planned to have tests done this week, but Anton has caught a cold. We shall have to put the tests off. Antoshka's health is unsteady; he is better one day and worse the next. With the start of the school year the load and the tiredness have grown. He gets very upset. We are doing everything we can to bring him back into balance; music distracts him a little, he plays the piano. Thank you for the medicines." 

27 August 2014 

Yesterday Antoshka and I spent almost the whole day at the regional children's hospital. X-rays of his legs were taken. The radiologist, seeing that the child has a diagnosis of — chronic renal failure, decided at once that he must also have renal diabetes and rickets. The child came out of the consulting room very downcast. Anton had his dressing changed at urology and we had to hurry to the orthopaedist. The orthopaedist sent us to the nephrologist. We waited for the nephrologist standing on the steps in the corridor for more than an hour. Having looked at our X-rays and the fresh test results, she said that, unfortunately, the process in the bones and kidneys is irreversible and nothing can be done. When I hear the word "irreversible", everything inside me contracts, but contrary to what the doctors say, I believe that everything can still be put right. So I am not going to give up; I shall adjust the calcium and phosphorus content in his blood. To remove the bone deformity we shall try using orthoses. Unfortunately, the deformity of the leg bones is not our only problem. We finally had the tests done and the most important indicator of kidney function — creatinine rose by 10 units. The child followed all the doctors' instructions, kept to his diet and very much hoped that the reward for his effort would be better test results, but that did not happen and it upset our whole family. Our medicine holds that the problem of rising creatinine can be solved only by dialysis, but when I read the comments of those who go through this procedure, I am horrified. So we shall try to do everything to prolong the pre-dialysis period for Anton. We assumed that Anton's rising creatinine was a side effect of the erythropoietin injections, but our nephrologist did not agree. We were not allowed to reduce the dose of this drug. It was recommended that we change the sorbent and adjust the diet. Last week we sent a request to Belarus about an examination for a kidney transplant operation. The answer we received simply shocked us. I have not slept for several nights in a row, trying to make sense of it. In the telephone conversation we had been given to understand that the cost of such an examination starts from 2000$, but having studied Anton's medical indications they raised the sum to 7000$. But the most frightening thing is that they believe that before the transplant Anton needs two more operations: 1) an operation to reconstruct the bladder, 2) an operation to reconstruct the ureters. Here in Ukraine we were refused an operation on the ureters because they saw it as a threat to the child's life because of the high creatinine. Now our creatinine has risen even higher, and how such an operation is to be carried out is beyond me. I pray to God that our ureters will stretch and that Tosha's bladder will not have to be replaced with an artificial one. They say problems should be solved as they arise. So many problems have fallen on us now that my head is spinning. But I hope to solve them all with the greatest good for Anton. I also hope for your attention and your help.

Svitlana Khomenko

Assistance provided - 107 281,25 UAH