Four-year-old Nikola Osińska has a lymphatic malformation. The illness has deformed her face. The girl often had a fever. “Nikolka suffered terribly, she couldn’t eat and drank through a straw. At night she woke up crying because her little face was swelling badly,” writes on the blog Katarzyna Dzida, the mother of the young resident of Szprotawa. Nikola has undergone seven operations. For some time, the girl’s face looked good. “We travelled to Berlin for further treatments. However, since January 2010, the malformation has enlarged again. A painful redness appeared, and her cheek looks as if it is about to burst,” Mrs Katarzyna explains.
For the girl to recover, an operation is necessary. It will cost €10,000. Nikola’s mother simply cannot afford such an expense. For about a week, a charity campaign for the sick girl has been under way in Bolesławiec. Bolesławiec schools, as well as residents of Nowogrodziec and Zgorzelec, have joined the initiative.
“Nikolka can’t eat or speak. The malformation is developing very quickly and is getting bigger and bigger,” Mariusz Paluch, the girl’s uncle and the campaign’s initiator, tells the IstotneInformacje.pl portal and newspaper. “My sister asked me for help. I informed my friends about the situation through Nasza-klasa and Gadu-Gadu. We are collecting plastic bottle caps.”
The caps will be taken to Kraków. A local company buys them at a fair price. The money will be transferred to the account of the foundation that cares for Nikolka. “I’m very happy that people are so kind and want to help,” Mr Mariusz says with emotion. “So far, we have managed to collect around two tonnes of caps.”
Today, the young resident of Szprotawa went to Warsaw for examinations. On Sunday, 25 April, Nikola and her mother will travel to Berlin for consultations. The operation is scheduled for August. However, it may turn out that the girl will have to undergo emergency surgery sooner. “I would like to ask everyone to help collect the caps,” Mr Mariusz adds.
Collection points:
- Kino Orzeł
- Kameleon paint shop on Kościuszki Street in Bolesławiec (near the petrol station)
- Unikat wholesaler on Kościuszki Street in Bolesławiec
You can help!
Those who wish to provide financial support to Nikola can deposit money into the account:
Fundacja Dzieciom „Zdążyć z Pomocą”
PKO BP branch 1 in Warsaw
account number: 41 12 40 1037 1111 0010 1321 9362
with the note: “Donation for the treatment and rehabilitation of Nikola Osińska”.
(information ii)