A Mother's Unwavering Fight: Natalka's Journey to Independence
When we first learned that we were going to be parents, we were filled with pure joy and excitement for the future. Our hearts were ready to welcome our child into a world full of love. But unfortunately, during the second trimester of pregnancy, our happiness was shattered. The test results came back, and we learned that I had contracted a toxoplasmosis infection. Our world turned upside down in an instant.
I took antibiotics for the rest of my pregnancy, hoping and praying that my daughter wouldn’t suffer the consequences. Ultrasound exams showed that Natalka was developing normally, and we held on to the belief that our daughter would be healthy. When she was born, she scored a perfect 10 on the Apgar scale. It was the relief we had been longing for. But as we prepared to leave the hospital, fate cruelly played a trick on us. A routine check-up revealed that Natalka had dilated ventricles in her brain. The doctors immediately began tests for congenital toxoplasmosis, and a lumbar puncture, along with an eye examination, confirmed the devastating diagnosis.
At that moment, our hearts broke. We had no idea what lay ahead for our little 3-kilogram baby. The disease had already taken its toll, leaving lasting effects: hydrocephalus, epilepsy, increased muscle tone, quadriplegia, and bilateral retinitis. Our baby, who had been healthy at birth, was now fighting for her life. The first six months of her life were spent in the hospital undergoing numerous painful tests, blood draws, and treatments. Her tiny veins couldn't handle the constant intravenous fluids, and she had to endure multiple blood transfusions and six life-saving surgeries.
Despite everything she had already suffered, this was just the beginning of Natalka’s long and difficult journey. She has been fighting from day one, and we, as her parents, are doing everything we can to provide her with the care she needs. Today, at 3.5 years old, Natalka still cannot sit or walk independently. She relies on a specialized seat, a stroller, a car seat, an active stroller, a standing frame, and foot braces to help her with basic mobility. Although she understands everything around her, she can only say a few syllables. To express her needs, she uses alternative communication methods, which have become vital for her development.
The road ahead is long and full of challenges. Natalka suffers from vision problems that require ongoing therapy. She also undergoes intensive rehabilitation several times a year, including Vojta and Bobath therapy, manual phonics training, speech therapy, and neurologist consultations. She benefits from dog and music therapy, and she attends a specialized preschool where she is cared for by top specialists in their field. Even at home, we continue her exercises daily to give her the best possible chance for development.
Everything we do has a tangible impact on Natalka's fitness and progress. But the road to independence for our daughter requires even more. To help her function better and provide her with at least a modicum of independence, we need to purchase a new specialized active wheelchair. The one she currently uses has become too small for her, and it is no longer suitable for her needs. Along with the wheelchair, there are the ongoing costs of private therapy and rehabilitation programs, which far exceed our financial capabilities.
It has not been easy for us, but we are determined to give our little princess the best chance to grow and develop as much as possible. We know that with your help, Natalka can continue her fight, and we can provide her with the tools she needs to have a better life. Every bit of support, whether large or small, will make a huge difference for our daughter.
We are already incredibly grateful for the help we have received, and we cannot thank you enough for your kindness and generosity. Your support means the world to us, and it gives us hope for a brighter future for Natalka. With your help, we can ensure that she has the resources and care needed to reach her full potential, even if the path ahead is difficult.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for standing with us and supporting our little warrior’s journey. Together, we can help Natalka take the next steps toward independence and a brighter future filled with possibilities.
Walking Through the Storm: A Young Father’s Fight Against Aplastic Anemia
“You have to walk through the storm before you receive the miracle,” Allen Davis said softly, his voice steady with determination. At 29 years old, Allen is learning that sometimes faith, patience, and resilience are the only anchors when life changes overnight.
Allen is a husband, a father to two-year-old Alina, and a nurse who has dedicated his life to caring for others. For years, he worked in Birmingham at UAB Hospital—first in the cardiac ICU, then most recently in the post-anesthesia care unit. During the pandemic, he served as a travel nurse, witnessing unimaginable suffering. Through it all, his wife Sandra says, he never lost his light. “Allen has always been such a ray of sunshine,” she shared.
But just over eight weeks ago, the sunshine dimmed. Allen began to feel exhausted. He noticed bruises appearing without reason. Something was wrong. “Doctors thought it could be leukemia,” Sandra recalled. Tests revealed dangerously low platelet counts, leading to a bone marrow biopsy on April 8.
The results sent Allen and Sandra rushing to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore for answers. There, doctors delivered a devastating diagnosis: aplastic anemia. A rare condition, affecting only about a thousand people a year, it occurs when the bone marrow fails to produce enough white cells, red cells, and platelets. In Allen’s case, it was severe. The recommendation was clear: he needed a bone marrow transplant.
For Allen and his family, the weeks since have been a whirlwind of hope and heartbreak. At one point, he suffered second-degree burns across his shoulder and down to his fingertips. For a brief moment, the resulting surge in white blood cells sparked hope that his immune system might reset. But the improvement didn’t last. “It’s been up and down—hope one day and dashed hopes the next,” Sandra said quietly.
Despite the setbacks, Allen clings to faith. “I’m hopeful,” he told me. “I want to be around to be the fun daddy.” He dreams of watching Alina grow up, of adding more children to their family, of sharing years of love with Sandra, his college sweetheart from the University of Alabama. Married nearly five years, the couple has already built a life full of laughter, hikes, football memories from Allen’s Oak Mountain High School days, and dreams of a future now suddenly uncertain.
Allen is currently listed on the national marrow registry. Johns Hopkins and UAB are working together to search for a match. Meanwhile, several family members are being tested. “It feels as if the ball is starting to roll a little bit,” Allen said, “so there is some peace in that.”
Faith has been their backbone through it all. “We are a faith-driven family,” Allen emphasized. “That’s what’s helping us through this storm.” Sandra agrees, holding tightly to both prayer and the belief that brighter days are ahead.
For now, Allen continues to wait. Waiting for the call that a match has been found. Waiting for the chance at a transplant. Waiting for the miracle that could give him back the life he so desperately wants to live—for his wife, for his daughter, and for the family they still hope to grow.
As summer approaches, Allen hopes it will be more than just a season marked by hospitals and waiting. He hopes it will be remembered as the time when everything began to turn around.
“I want to be there for my wife and children,” he said. “We want to have more kids. I want to live a long, full life with them.”
Allen Davis believes in storms, but more importantly, he believes in miracles. And this summer, he is holding onto hope that one will find its way to him.
