Gosia Disarms Cancer with Laughter

Everything began on a Wednesday in December, 10 days before Christmas. A small but very painful lump appeared on the back of Gosia Kocniowska’s head. The very next day, she went with her mother to a doctor, who said it was an enlarged lymph node. Since other nodes were swollen as well, the girl was sent for an ultrasound and basic tests. Afterward, the doctor decided that antibiotics would be the first course of action.

“The 10-day course worked, and it seemed that everything would be fine. Unfortunately, as soon as Gosia finished taking the medicine, the lymph nodes in her neck immediately swelled up. It hurt her a lot,” recalls Małgosia’s mother, Joanna Kocniowska. It was Christmas Day. No one expected it to also be the first day of the incredibly difficult battle awaiting the teenager.

The following day, they went to the hospital in Jelenia Góra. For more than a week, doctors puzzled over what was wrong with the girl. They probably already suspected that Gosia would have to face the worst. That is why they referred her to Przylądek Nadziei, a pediatric oncology clinic. Further specialist tests began and lasted nearly three weeks. It took so long because Gosia’s illness can be extremely deceptive. Finally, the doctors made a diagnosis—Gosia had cancer, a malignant tumor known as lymphoma.

Looking for hope

The girl’s symptoms were completely different from those normally described.

“There are simply no fixed rules with this disease. Usually, the nodes are hard and painless, whereas my daughter’s were movable and hurt her badly. That is why the picture of what was wrong with Małgosia was so unclear, and the doctors had to work it out gradually,” her mother explains. She adds sadly that before the illness, she had all of her daughter’s checkups done twice a year. Gosia was a healthy, strong teenager. That is why the disease struck them like a bolt from the blue.

“I don’t wonder ‘what if…’. I can only focus on what is here and now. I can fight for the future because I can no longer change the past,” says Asia.

The whole family is painfully aware of how difficult the road ahead will be. They have learned this not only from conversations with doctors or from the internet. They know exactly what Gosia will have to go through because a little over a year ago, Gosia’s classmate Natalka Gajda began fighting the same opponent. Today, Natalka is slowly recovering. She is being treated at home, but she still faces a very long and very costly rehabilitation process. The parents of both girls know each other, and in this difficult situation they are each other’s greatest support. Although Natalka’s story offers hope and faith that this disease can be defeated, Gosia’s parents are sometimes overwhelmed by the awareness of how difficult and painful the road to victory will be.

Gosia Sets an Example

The fight against cancer is a tremendous test for the entire family, but above all for the patient. And Gosia is passing it with flying colors. She began her battle with an extraordinary gesture. She knew that chemotherapy would make her lose her beautiful—long and very thick—hair. She checkmated the disease. At Małgosia’s request, her mother invited a hairdresser to the hospital, who cut the girl’s long hair. Braided into plaits, it was donated to a foundation that will make wigs for other children with cancer. Even at such a difficult moment for a teenager, she thought not of herself but of other children in need. Gosia will have to wait for her own wig. Although it may not be long, because inspired by Małgosia, other young women from Jelenia Góra have decided to donate their hair to a worthy cause.

“For example, a woman contacted me whose daughter met Małgosia while staying at the hospital in Jelenia Góra. The girl wanted to donate her hair to children with cancer, thereby supporting Gosia and her treatment,” says Beata Wójtowicz, who coordinates the campaign to help Małgosia. More volunteers came forward after that girl. “My throat tightens during conversations like these, but I think tears of happiness are nothing to be ashamed of. The solidarity of the people of Jelenia Góra shows that we are not indifferent to another person’s life and that we can do a great deal of good,” she adds, moved. The campaign is gathering momentum, and there is already a hair salon in Jelenia Góra where anyone can have their long hair cut for children with cancer.

All of Jelenia Helps

But that is not the end of the help organized by residents of the girl’s hometown. The first major auction for Małgosia has already taken place. It raised more than 18,000 złoty. A major charity event is also being planned for mid-May at Plac Ratuszowy, with the proceeds going toward the girl’s treatment.

Gosia’s classmates continue to support her. They send her encouraging notes and small gifts. Her beloved friend Zuzia, for example, sent her a lovely T-shirt with the motivating slogan “I win because I want to!”. It is a humorous T-shirt, because Małgosia also seems to keep laughing in the face of the disease—even in the most difficult moments.

“I watch her sleeping after another day of difficult chemotherapy, and I think about how brave and courageous she is. She keeps smiling all the time,” says the girl’s mother. She tells how, during the morning medical rounds, whenever she is asked how she feels and whether anything is bothering her, Gosia cheerfully replies that everything is OK. Before receiving chemotherapy, she says that today she is spending the whole day being lazy in bed, so she is staying in her pajamas.

“Gosia keeps her sense of humor and her composure. A huge number of people are cheering us on, and my daughter knows that she cannot let them down,” the girl’s mother says with a smile. “All these gestures carry us through the saddest moments, help us and give us the strength to fight the disease,” Asia emphasizes.

Gosia is strong, cheerful and exceptionally intelligent. She knows very well that she must face the disease and win. Each of us can help her through this difficult journey. All it takes is donating 1% of your tax by entering KRS 86 210 on your tax return.

The Foundation Helps

Gosia continues to receive support from the “Na ratunek dzieciom z chorobą nowotworową” Foundation. However, the girl is just one of the thousands of children helped by the organization. With children with cancer in mind, the foundation initiated the construction of Przylądek Nadziei in Wrocław, Poland’s most modern pediatric oncology clinic. Today, the new hospital cares for nearly 2,000 patients from across the country every year. The foundation does everything it can to help children and their parents get through the difficult period of illness. It purchases very expensive medicines and pays for rehabilitation. It also provides young patients with comprehensive psychological support through the country’s only Mental Clinic. All of this is possible thanks to generous people who support the organization every year by donating 1% of their tax.

On the website: https://naratunek.org/program-pit/ you can find a program that helps you complete your tax return quickly and easily. Each of us can join the foundation in fighting for the smiles and lives of children with cancer.