Igor is 12 years old. He loves singing, studying music, riding his bike, and spending time in the park with his parents. He’s the kind of child who, even when things are hard for him, encourages others and tells his mother: “Don’t cry, everything will be fine.”
For almost a year now, his family has been living with a very concrete fear: that Igor could lose his sight. Forever.
A difficult diagnosis and a race against time
Igor has a rare autoimmune disease – chronic uveitis. In short, his immune system is “attacking” his own eye. For the past 10 months he has been undergoing complex treatments: hormonal eye drops, then Methotrexate, a strong drug that weakens the immune system. Although his parents have accepted everything the doctors recommended, the inflammation does not go down. Igor is not responding to treatment.
Our son says that he sees a bit darker with his left eye than with his right. I constantly ask him to check his vision in his right and left eye.
When he goes outside, he has very strong pain from the light. That’s how the cataract and the inflammation in the eye manifest.
In general, Igor is a very positive child, he doesn’t get discouraged, I would say. On the contrary, sometimes he even encourages me. He says: ‘Mom, don’t cry, everything will be fine.
Viktoria A., Igor’s mother
Because of the ongoing inflammation, a cataract has already started to form in his left eye. This means that if they don’t intervene in time, the risk of irreversible loss of vision is very high.
The ophthalmologist in Bucharest, an experienced specialist who follows his case, has recommended the next step: biological treatment with Humira (Adalimumab), a modern medicine that can stop the inflammation and put the disease into remission, so that Igor’s sight can be saved.
Why we need help
Treatment with Humira is very expensive: around 2,400 lei per month, and it has to be given continuously, in the long term – for years, not just once. Igor’s family works, both parents have jobs, but like many refugee parents from Ukraine, they are starting from zero in Romania: they pay rent, they are rebuilding their life after the war, and their income is not enough.
According to the official responses they received, Igor is entitled to 100% reimbursement for this medication. The doctor tried to prescribe the treatment, and the Health Insurance House (CNAS) confirmed this right in writing. But for administrative and bureaucratic reasons, the prescription cannot be issued. Everyone involved – doctors and CNAS staff – has been respectful, available, and has tried to help. The problem is a systemic one and has already been going on for a month and a half, while the disease does not wait.
In the meantime, Igor needs treatment now, not “once the administrative problem is resolved.”
What JRS is doing and how you can help
Igor and his parents are in contact with JRS Romania and have been included in our assistance programme. When his mother had exhausted every door she could knock on, JRS proposed what we can do best at this moment: a public campaign to raise funds for his treatment, until the system starts working as it should.
Every contribution counts:
- Your donation helps cover Igor’s monthly treatment cost.
It is not easy for this family to ask for help. They said very clearly: for themselves, they would never have asked. They are doing this for their child.
We have always done everything in our life on our own, but this time we are facing something we cannot handle by ourselves. Yes, we try to manage on our own, to earn enough money, but the situation is quite difficult. We are from Kherson. Here we have to pay rent and rebuild our life from scratch. I am trying now to earn more, to move forward in my career. But at this moment we simply do not have the money to buy this medication. And our son needs it.
Igor’s father
We invite you to become part of Igor’s story
Donate now and help us protect his sight.
Donate for Igor’s treatment.
Update: Igor’s public donation campaign is now closed. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, because thanks to your support we raised 1,780 RON, which we transferred to Igor’s family. This helped cover part of the urgent monthly medical costs as they fight to protect his eyesight.
Igor is 12 years old and lives with a rare autoimmune eye condition (chronic uveitis), which can seriously affect vision if the inflammation is not controlled in time. The treatment recommended by his specialist is a biological therapy, very effective, but long-term and expensive. That is why every contribution matters, especially when time is critical.
And here is the best news: a donor foundation has agreed to continue supporting Igor’s treatment in the coming period, so he can follow the full recommended plan. We truly hope that with this treatment, his condition will go into remission.
Thank you again for every donation, share, and message. You were the support that brought a bit of calm and confidence to a refugee family.
