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According to Victoria, who is studying medicine in the US, the need for such piece of equipment is undeniable.

According to Pediatric Oncohematology Center's Director Jelena Rascon, after the transplantations, some patients experience specific complication - haemorrhagic cystitis. In such cases, the bleeding is severe and uncontrollable. Medics need to constantly observe such patient and be prepared to infuse the red blood cells. Such machine will allow to see the blood results without the tests, labs won't be needed and it will improve the patients already fragile state.

KFF representatives Zenonas Bedalis and Neila Baumiliene visited Pediatric Oncohematology Center's Bone Marrow Transplant Ward and had a chance to see how patients iwith most severe conditions are treated and cared for, how noninvasive hemoglobin monitor will help the ward's children. They visited a girl who was recovering after the bone marrow transplantation and her mom, and discussed with dr. Jelena Rascon and Head of Pediatric Oncohematology Department Sigita Stankeviciene how far medicine have come along and what patients had to go through years ago and today.

"There are not that many of us, about 80-90 children get diagnosed with cancer every year in Lithuania" - shares dr. S. Stankeviciene, "that's why we try to work together with the entire world, learn from each other, consult with the colleagues from other countries, try to come up with the best solutions. We have a team in our department, where every member is extremely important: doctor, nurse, kinesiotherapist, teacher, social worker and many others that try to provide our little patients with the best care  possible in Lithuania."

"Many people fight hard for those children," adds dr. J. Rascon, "and we can assure that our treatments are as good as in many other European countries. That's why there are no accidental people here. Those who don't adapt, crumble under pressure, don't last long here. We always have a lot of work, children's state could change in a heart beat, we must be prepared for any event all the time."

Pediatric Oncolgy Center's doctors are extremely grateful to the Kazickas Family Foundation for such gift that will help both, patients and doctors. According to the entire center's teamt, "It is a small machine, but a pricieless gift."

According to Z. Bedalis, it is wonderful that machine can be next to the patient and the need for it is undeniable. He remembered the days when hospitals didn't even have infusion pumps that play a huge role in patients treatments today.

Photos and text: Jolanta Normantienė