Here is my son Lester

13 years ago a doctor doing ultra sound of my unborn baby, cross that we wouldn’t consider abortion, said to me: Congratulations. Your life and your child’s life is going to be a gehenna.

Six months later when I was leaving the hospital with my 3 month old boy I heard from another doctor: You are going to have a lot of trouble with him…

Thanks God for 12 years having Lester gave me joy rather than ordeal or troubles.

Lester is an inteligent and loveble child. He learned to read at the age of 3. Today he speaks and writes in Polish and English fluently. He can also speak French. He has got a musical ear. He plays the recorder and the keyboard. He is interested in motorization and science -  especially fascinated by creationism. He has also a bent for sport- he participated in street races, where he covered distances of 5 km on his wheelchair or handbike.

Lester is a cheerful, straightforward and outgoing boy. When I leave him for a while in a waiting room full of silent people, on my coming back I see all the faces around grinning.

Of course, a parent of a handicapped child has some duties. Lester needs assistance with dressing or taking a bath. He needs catheterizing every 3 hours during the day. He needs frequent meals according to his diet, medicines 3 times a day and rehabilitation a couple of times a week. It is all even more complicated as we have an autistic and mentally handicapped 11 y.o. daughter- Susie. She has her own needs and we fight also for her.

Why did we decide to talk about it all? Because Lester has just come to the point where he needs help. And we, parents, can’t help him on our own. This is why we ask you to help us.

Lester was born with meningocele and hydrocephalus. His legs and bladder don’t work. For the past two years our son is rapidly growing and his spine has been severly deformed. The pressure for the internal organs causes pain. He often feels nausea and can't eat. Lester used to go to school with healthy children. In Nov.2011 we had to take him out of school because of the state of his health. Now the teachers come to teach him at home but Lester longs for contact with other children.

 

The doctors all say it musn’t be left without intervention. Developing kyphosis and scoliosis can lead to a state when the pressure on the lungs and heart will be dangerous for his life. A surgery is needed- stabilization of the spine with the implants. This will at least enable Lester to sit in his wheelchair properly. He will be able to learn and work among people. This is what can be done for him.

Trying to find help for our son we went to Werner-Wicker-Klinik in Bad Wildungen, Germany. It is a clinic specializing in spine surgeries. They have good results and little percentage of complications. It is possible to do such a surgery in Poland, but the quality of this is much worse. Many children suffer a lot only to have the implant taken away after some time as the body rejects it. In Bad Wildungen clinic it happens only once in 1600 sergeries!

Lester in Bad Wildungen, Germany

Lester has been qualified for the surgery, but money is a problem for us. The cost of the surgery is 41 000 euro and we can’t afford it. Only Tomek works in our family, I am staying home with two handicapped children.

Our children has an account in a Fundation where we raise money for their medical needs. If you would like to donate towards Lester’s surgery, please go to his site in Foundation and copy the second account number from the top. As a title of a bank transfer you should write: “3258 Popek Lester - darowizna na leczenie”.

If you have any questions feel free to contact us.

Thank you for your help!

Wiesława Popek
wispop@gmail.com