News and events

Dara Foundation has reached the 2011 target to purchase additional infusion equipment for Institute of Pediatrics and Pediatric Surgery (IPPS)!

Dara Foundation has purchased 15 infusion pumps for the third and fourth Oncohaematology Departments of the IPPS, amounting to 4,440,877 Tenge, and 15 Braunostats® (racks for infusion pumps, produced by B. Braun Melsungen AG)  for 1,432,819 Tenge. 

The units will be used to improve the treatment of children with acute leukemia and atrophic anemia: for the dosed introduction of intravenous drugs during infusion chemotherapy.

The center was one of the first in the CIS to implement modern and effective German methods of treatment that use elements of multi-component, combined and high-dosage fluid therapy. Fluid therapy is a 24-hour procedure and requires infusers to regulate intravenous doses of medicine. The centre's two oncology wards have 60 beds, but treats between 90 and 100 children daily, which is why the previous equipment could not meet the demand for 24-hour infusions.

Also according to a doctor at the third branch, Zhanar Anarbekovny Kiyalbekovoy, the treatment of one child requires medication to be administered every two hours, whilst the time interval for another child is every three to four days. Because of intensive and round-the-clock use, and also due to overcrowding in the department, equipment wears out quickly and there is a constant shortage of infusion pumps.

For the last 10 months Dara Foundation has held the events and collected enough funds for 15 and 15 infuser stands thanks to the following people:

• 10 000 USD were collected at the Burns Super that was organised by Scotish community in Almaty. Dara Foundation would like to thank Gail Mowat and Hazel Arnold for their support.
• 8 200 were raised at Sofia - Maria Udovenchuk birthday party by her mother Anel Udovenchuk. Dara Foundation would also like to thank Anar Aytzhanova for her 500 EURO donation at this event.

• A Thai evening organized by Barbara Lohse, Hazel Arnold, and Roger Holland. Thanks to a charity auction and the support of Peter Foster and Air Astana, 5,000 USD was raised from Pavel and Sladjana Matijevic.
• During a wine-tasting evening organized by Elmira Berdiyarova, a charity auction collected 1,450,000 tenge from Indira Babayeva, Eldar Kabiyev and Nurlan Abuov. In addition, Angelo Vinci donated 2,000 Euros, while the various guests at the event placed a total of 113,930 tenge in the donations' box.
• At a charity rugby match organized by Roger Holland on 19 November, Pavel and Sladjana Matijevic donated a boat vacation for auction that was bought for 3,500 USD by Simen Munter.

We would like to tell the story of Yernar Kairlaeva from the city of Baikonur. He is now eighteen months old, and the family's fourth child. As Rosa Maksatova, the boy's mother says, he was completely healthy, but last November he began suffering from shortness of breath and doctors diagnosed chronic bronchitis. Medical tests showed that Yernar's blood contained elevated levels of leukocytes. Finally the following words appeared on the youngster's medical record - Precursor T-cell lymphoblastic leukaemia.
Since mid-December, the boy has been receiving treatment under the quota of the Research Institute of Paediatrics and Paediatric Surgery. And he still faces another 9 months within hospital walls. Now the baby's condition has stabilised; he has a good appetite and the smile has returned to his face..

Thank you all for your generous donations and assistance in making sure children like Yernar get the adequate treatment for such serious disease. We could not have done it without your support!