Fighting for Milenka: A Mother’s Plea to Save Her Daughter’s Life

October 12, 2023 — a date that is forever etched in my heart. I remember everything about that day: the sterile smell of the hospital, the heaviness in the doctor’s eyes, the deafening silence before the words that shattered our world —“Your daughter is terminally ill. Ewing’s sarcoma — a malignant tumor.”No parent is ever ready to hear those words. No heart can bear them.But our story began long before that moment.My daughter Milenka has always been a ray of sunshine — a cheerful, curious little girl who loves to explore the world around her. She runs, laughs, and fills every corner of our home with life. Like most children, she sometimes complained of being tired or having a sore leg after a long day of play. I thought nothing of it. She was growing fast, always on the move — what child doesn’t get tired?But then the pain didn’t stop. It became daily.We went to the doctor, who reassured us it was nothing serious — “Just tendinitis,” he said. We were told to use ointments and physical therapy, and we did everything we were told. But one day, a small bulge appeared on her leg. It seemed strange, but we wanted to believe the doctors. We wanted to believe everything was fine.Now, I know that bulge was a malignant tumor — a ticking time bomb inside my daughter’s body. If only we had pushed for more tests back then, maybe… maybe things would have been different.By the time the correct diagnosis came, it …

No parent is ever ready to hear those words. No heart can bear them.

But our story began long before that moment.

My daughter Milenka has always been a ray of sunshine — a cheerful, curious little girl who loves to explore the world around her. She runs, laughs, and fills every corner of our home with life. Like most children, she sometimes complained of being tired or having a sore leg after a long day of play. I thought nothing of it. She was growing fast, always on the move — what child doesn’t get tired?

But then the pain didn’t stop. It became daily.

We went to the doctor, who reassured us it was nothing serious — “Just tendinitis,” he said. We were told to use ointments and physical therapy, and we did everything we were told. But one day, a small bulge appeared on her leg. It seemed strange, but we wanted to believe the doctors. We wanted to believe everything was fine.

Now, I know that bulge was a malignant tumor — a ticking time bomb inside my daughter’s body. If only we had pushed for more tests back then, maybe… maybe things would have been different.

By the time the correct diagnosis came, it was already too late for early intervention. The tumor had grown to 10 centimeters, and Milenka could barely walk. The words“Ewing’s sarcoma” changed everything.

What followed was a year of pain and fear — a battle for her life.
Fourteen cycles of chemotherapy.
A major surgery to remove part of her fibula and surrounding tissue.
Nine long months in the hospital, tethered to IV drips as her body struggled with leukopenia and endless fatigue.

But through it all, Milenka never gave up. She smiled even when her body trembled with pain. She played with her dolls from her hospital bed, whispered jokes to the nurses, and told me, “Mommy, when I get better, let’s go to the sea.”