Liwia’s Fight: A Tiny Warrior Facing a Rare and Devastating Disease

From the very beginning, Liwia has faced challenges that most people could scarcely imagine. Born with hyperglycinemia, a rare and incurable metabolic disorder, her young life has been defined by constant struggle. This genetic condition attacks the nervous system, leaving Liwia unable to speak, sit, or walk, and causing drug-resistant epilepsy that threatens every moment of her day. For her family, each gesture, each small movement, is a triumph and a reminder of the uphill battle she faces.

Despite the severity of her condition, Liwia’s parents refuse to give up. Every day is a testament to dedication and love. Intensive rehabilitation, specialist care, and hours of exercise form the backbone of her fight, aimed at maximizing her abilities and giving her the best possible quality of life. For a child whose body does not cooperate, every small step achieved through therapy is monumental — a sign that perseverance and care can yield progress even in the most challenging circumstances.

Liwia’s treatment requires not just daily therapy but also intensive, multi-week rehabilitation sessions several times a year. Each of these sessions is critical, offering specialized care designed to maintain her physical abilities, prevent deterioration, and give her a chance at some level of independence. For her, these sessions are more than exercises; they are lifelines, moments where professional intervention can make tangible differences in her development and daily functioning.

Until now, the family has managed to cover the cost of these vital treatments with the help of friends and relatives, never needing to appeal to the broader community. But the increasing expense of rehabilitation has created a barrier they cannot overcome alone. Each intensive session costs 15,000 PLN, and the family faces upcoming sessions in June and November 2025. Despite their efforts and prior fundraising, they are still short by 25,000 PLN — a sum essential for Liwia to receive the care that is her only hope for progress.

This financial hurdle is more than just numbers; it is the difference between continued improvement and potential regression. Without these sessions, Liwia risks losing hard-earned abilities and the possibility of reaching milestones that give her family hope. Every day without rehabilitation is a day where her fragile gains could slip away, and her parents feel the weight of urgency with every passing moment.

The emotional toll on Liwia’s family is immense. Watching a child struggle, unable to perform tasks that most take for granted, is heartbreaking. Yet, alongside fear and worry, there is pride — pride in every small achievement, every smile, every attempt at movement, and every sign of resilience from their tiny warrior. Liwia’s fight is not hers alone; it is a shared journey of love, determination, and hope that unites her family and inspires everyone who witnesses her courage.

The family’s appeal is simple yet profound: support Liwia in accessing the rehabilitation she desperately needs. Every donation, no matter the size, contributes directly to her sessions, giving her the chance to continue fighting against the limitations imposed by her condition. By contributing, supporters are not just offering money; they are providing hope, opportunity, and a tangible lifeline to a child whose daily existence is already a battle of endurance, courage, and determination.

Liwia’s story is a reminder of the incredible resilience of children facing rare diseases, and of the vital role that community support can play in their lives. While her condition may seem insurmountable, the combined efforts of professionals, family, and compassionate individuals can make a transformative difference. Through rehabilitation, persistence, and care, even a child with such profound challenges can achieve moments of triumph, growth, and improved quality of life.

For those reading this, the opportunity to help Liwia is immediate and impactful. Each act of kindness brings her closer to receiving essential therapy, allowing her to reach milestones that give her family hope and a vision for a future where her potential is nurtured. In a life marked by limitations, these contributions represent freedom, possibility, and the power of collective action to alter the course of a child’s journey.

Liwia may be small, but her fight is immense. She embodies courage, resilience, and determination far beyond her nine months of age. With the support of generous donors, she can continue the rehabilitation that sustains her progress and offers her the best possible chance to thrive. Each session secured, each donation made, and each share of her story extends her opportunity for growth and life-changing improvements.

💜 Liwia’s fight is ongoing, but hope remains within reach. Your kindness can ensure that this tiny warrior receives the care she needs, turning struggle into progress, and giving her a chance to live her life with dignity, strength, and love. Every contribution matters — please help Liwia today, and become part of her journey toward a brighter tomorrow.

The Only Way Out Is Through: Haylee’s Journey from Patient to Future Nurse

“The only way out is through.” For most high school seniors, those words might sound like a motivational phrase to push through finals or college applications. But for Haylee S., they became a lifeline — a mantra written across her graduation cap, symbolizing her fight through one of the hardest battles of her life.

Seven weeks before graduation, Haylee was preparing for the future she had carefully envisioned. She was heading off to nursing school, excited to turn her passion for helping people into a career. But everything changed with a diagnosis no teenager expects: a rare brain tumor called polymorphous low-grade neuroepithelial tumor of the young (#PLNTY).

The news shattered the rhythm of her senior year. While her classmates were planning prom, senior trips, and summer celebrations, Haylee was meeting with neurosurgeons and trying to understand a condition that only a handful of patients worldwide are ever diagnosed with. What was supposed to be the happiest chapter of her teenage life suddenly became the most frightening.

Her doctors recommended surgery to remove the tumor. It was risky, and it was terrifying, but Haylee faced it with remarkable bravery. Surrounded by her family’s support, she entered the operating room knowing that this was the fight she had to take on. The days and weeks that followed were grueling. Recovery was not linear — there were setbacks, frustrations, and the kind of exhaustion that tested her spirit. But Haylee held onto her mantra: the only way out is through.

Slowly, she regained her strength. Every small step — walking a little farther, focusing on her schoolwork, regaining her confidence — became a victory. And when graduation day arrived, Haylee was there. Cap on her head, gown flowing, her words of resilience proudly displayed for all to see.

Yet the journey didn’t end with the tossing of a cap. Her experience with brain cancer reshaped the way she saw her future. Nursing had always been her dream, but now it had a new, sharper purpose. The hospital rooms, once places of fear, became spaces of inspiration. She remembered the nurses who not only administered medication but also spoke with kindness, reassured her family, and reminded her she was more than her diagnosis.

Those moments planted a seed. Haylee decided to specialize in neurology. Her goal: to walk alongside patients the way her care team walked alongside her, bringing not only clinical knowledge but also empathy born of lived experience. She knows firsthand the fear of hearing the word “tumor,” the uncertainty of waiting for test results, the physical toll of surgery and recovery. Her future patients will not just have a nurse — they will have someone who has lived what they are living.

Looking back, Haylee admits it was not the senior year she had imagined. Instead of carefree milestones, she was forced to face her own vulnerability. But it also revealed her strength, her resilience, and her calling. What she endured has given her a perspective that no textbook could teach and a determination that nothing can take away.

Haylee’s story is more than one of survival — it is a story of transformation. A rare diagnosis tried to derail her life, but instead it deepened her sense of purpose. Her journey reminds us that life’s hardest challenges can forge our strongest selves.

As she steps into the future, Haylee carries her mantra forward: the only way out is through. It guided her through surgery, carried her through recovery, and will now guide her as she helps others navigate their own battles. Her graduation cap wasn’t just decoration — it was a declaration. And her life is proof that even in the darkest moments, hope and perseverance can light the way.