With a heavy heart, I gaze at my son Oliś’s bald head, now marked with a large scar—the medal of his battle against a deadly disease. For months, this scar has reminded me of the fight he is waging, one that no child should ever face. Behind us are countless rounds of chemotherapy, radiation, and endless tears, yet the cancer continues to strike, demanding more from our little warrior.

Before this nightmare, Oliwierek was the picture of health—a smiling, energetic boy full of life. But everything changed in late February, when we noticed he started losing his balance, stumbling, and walking into walls. We sought advice from a physiotherapist, who suspected a neurological issue, but the pediatrician dismissed it, and the initial tests showed no major concerns. We couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong, and so we took Oliwierek to the hospital. What we learned next shattered our world—a CT scan revealed a tangerine-sized tumor in his cerebellum.

The diagnosis was terrifying, but the urgency of the situation was even more so. Oliwierek was rushed to surgery without the time for a biopsy. The pressure inside his brain was dangerously high, and he was days away from death. A six-hour surgery saved his life, but the complications that followed were devastating. Oliwierek fell into a coma, and when he awoke, he was unable to speak, move his left side, or even open his eyes. We were told it was posterior fossa syndrome, but that was only the beginning.

A biopsy revealed that the tumor was stage IV medulloblastoma, an aggressive form of childhood cancer. The prognosis wasn’t promising, and our already fragile world was shaken even further when we found out we were expecting another child—just as we learned our son had cancer. The uncertainty and fear were overwhelming. Would I be able to carry this pregnancy to term? Would Oliś ever meet his little sister? In the midst of our anguish, we refused to give up. We had to keep fighting, hoping against hope that we could overcome this disease and eventually return home with both our children.

As the chemotherapy began, we began to see small signs of progress. Oliwierek spoke his first words again, smiled, and even started trying to eat on his own. His left hand began to move again, and we allowed ourselves to believe that perhaps the worst was behind us. But then, on our little one’s second birthday, the news came that shattered what little hope we had left. The tumor wasn’t medulloblastoma as we had thought, but a rare and even more aggressive cancer: AT/RT (Atypical Teratoid Rhabdoid Tumor), one of the most dangerous central nervous system tumors in children.

The new diagnosis brought with it an even more aggressive treatment plan. The doctors told us it wasn’t the cancer that would kill Oliś, but the debilitating side effects of the treatments themselves. The chemo became increasingly difficult for our son, and his white blood cells, platelets, and hemoglobin levels dropped. He required numerous blood transfusions, and every day we watched him suffer, feeling utterly helpless. Cerebrospinal fluid began accumulating in his brain once again, and another surgery was needed to insert a shunt to regulate the fluid.

The reality of our situation sank in deeper with each passing day. Days turned into weeks, then months. We longed to bring Oliwierek home, even for just a few days, to let him experience the joy of being in his own bed, but something always got in the way. He still couldn’t walk and needed intensive rehabilitation, and his condition remained fragile.

So far, Oliwierek has endured eight cycles of chemotherapy, six weeks of radiotherapy, and more chemotherapy lies ahead. We live in constant fear that the treatment may stop working or that the cancer could return. Our life has been spent in the hospital for the past eight months, and every day we meet families whose treatment options have been exhausted. We fear that we will face the same fate.

This is why we are reaching out to you today. We are launching a fundraiser to cover the costs of Oliwierek’s ongoing treatments, rehabilitation, and medical consultations. The financial burden is overwhelming, and we simply cannot manage it on our own. We promised ourselves and Oliś that we would do everything in our power to help him win this fight, and with your support, we can do just that.

Every day we fight alongside our son. Every small step forward is a victory, and we refuse to give up. We want to see our son survive this, live a life without cancer, and grow up to experience all the joys childhood has to offer. We cannot do this alone. Please, if you are able, help us give Oliwierek the future he deserves—a chance to live, to laugh, to grow.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your kindness, your generosity, and your unwavering support. Together, we can make a difference and give our son the chance to win this battle.