My name is Larisa, and I'm Maxim's mother.

When our son was born, we were the happiest parents, because he was so long-awaited, so loved. Our Maxim — is a healthy, cheerful, and very creative little boy. He loves music, dancing, drawing, books, and goes to wushu classes.

Like all boys of 5 age, he loves playing with cars, watching cartoons, riding a scooter, and enjoying his favorite treats.

And also Maxim was very, very happy when he had a little brother, because they would soon be playing together and it would be twice as much fun.

But in the spring 2020 he suddenly felt ill, developed a stomach ache, and turned yellow. We were sent to the infectious diseases hospital with suspected viral hepatitis. The diagnosis was not confirmed, and after two weeks of treatment, my condition practically showed no improvement.

And then they discovered the most terrifying thing in my blood: — blast cells. Maxim was transferred to the Hematology Department Regional Hospital, where he was diagnosed with — ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKEMIA.

Words cannot express our feelings when we learned that our child was terminally ill and that any outcome was possible. We knew nothing about this disease yet, and our first thought was — "It's a death sentence." But everything turned out to be wrong. We weren't about to give up and immediately began treatment.

For over a year now, we've been fighting a tough battle against the disease. For as many 7 months, Maxim, like a steadfast soldier, courageously went through all the chemotherapy sessions. He endured nausea, stomatitis, and terrible pain all over his body.

How can a five-year-old child understand and comprehend what's happening to him? Why does everyone hurt him, why does he feel so bad, and why can't his mom and dad help or protect him? His childhood ended too quickly. Now his games are increasingly about the hospital, IVs, and injections.

Maxim was placed in a high-risk group and was prescribed a course of high-dose chemotherapy, which proved too much for him. In December, the child's condition sharply worsened, with intestinal bleeding, then seizures, and a coma. Chemotherapy resulted in a serious complication — toxic brain damage (encephalopathy).

For two months my son lay in the intensive care unit. He couldn't move, speak, or see, and his temperature rose every day to 39-40 degrees. His serious condition was further aggravated by fungal pneumonia, which was treated for two months with powerful antibiotics.

No one promised anything; all we could do was believe and hope. When Maxim uttered his first word after his coma on New Year's Eve, we realized — he wouldn't give up so easily. Four months of arduous recovery lay ahead. Speech, movement, and memory gradually returned.

It seemed the child was getting better, but then he slipped back again — a brain hemorrhage, speech and memory loss again, and another long recovery.

And the underlying disease was still active, and we needed to continue chemotherapy as soon as possible. With fear and risk, we are finishing the second cycle.

Maksym's memory has still not fully returned; his speech and thinking — everything seems to lag behind. After lying still for so long our little son still cannot walk, his legs will not obey him.

He is very weak after the long course of antibiotics, he has almost no immunity and catches any virus at once. He also takes an anticonvulsant all the time, as the seizures may return. Every day drips and handfuls of tablets — for the liver, the heart, for blood pressure, to improve the work of the brain, antifungals, anticonvulsants, antihistamines. One small child's lot has held as much as an adult is sometimes not given in a whole lifetime.

Now our son faces radiotherapy, which has to be done at the "Okhmatdyt" clinic in Kyiv. There has already been one attempt, but at the start of the irradiation Maksym fell ill and we had to break off, go home and be treated. Now we are preparing for the trip again.

We appeal for help to everyone who cares. Please help our little hero get through this hard road faster and return to a normal life!

Over this year our family has spent all the savings it had. Expensive medicines, countless examinations and consultations with specialists have drained us, in spite of the help and support of relatives and friends.

Maksym's father is with him in hospital all the time and cannot work. I am on maternity leave looking after Maksym's younger brother.

More than one trial lies ahead. After the radiotherapy another block of chemotherapy has to be gone through, and nobody knows how Maksym will bear it. But we want to do everything in our power so that he can receive the help he needs in time.

Besides the main treatment, there is still serious rehabilitation ahead from the consequences of encephalopathy. We so want our little son to become as he was before. But the most important thing is — that he should LIVE!

We have stopped living for tomorrow; we live only here and now. Today he is with us, and we are happy. What tomorrow will bring nobody knows, but we so want Maksym to have a tomorrow, and the day after, and many, many years ahead.

Please give him a chance of victory, a chance of life!

We shall be endlessly grateful for any help you can give!

Sincerely, the Yatsukh family.

For the ways you can help, see here.