Together with Lucija: a life-changing operation!
Hi, we are Ivana and Roberto, mom and dad from the Family House "St. Mary Untying Knots," and we are part of the Pope John XXIII Community. Our daughter Lucija is 12 years old and grew up among many brothers and sisters who needed a family, to whom she first opened the door of her home, welcoming them for a while or forever. Today she has four adopted sisters, who have been joined over the years by other minors, single mothers freed from prostitution, mentally and physically disabled people, young volunteers and a few newborn brothers or sisters to raise and cuddle in the first months while waiting for an adoptive family.Lucija has suffered since birth from congenital femoral/tibial hypoplasia in her right leg, a rare limb malformation consisting of a growth of the bones of the right leg inferior to the left leg, associated with a lack of cruciate ligament in the knee.Currently, the dysmetria has exceeded 8 cm, and Lucija walks wearing an orthopedic shoe with a heavy elevation and, in order to be able to practice activities like her peers, she has compensated, as far as she has been able, by walking on her toes, managing to attend artistic gymnastics, swimming, modern dance, and scouting. As her dysmetria increased and she became more aware of her disease, she also grew to feel great distress in feeling that she was not "being like others." Lucija longs to wear shoes like her friends and to participate freely in activities that she now faces with difficulty, such as a simple walk, and after which she feels pain in her hip, foot, and back as soon as the exertion is a little greater than normal.Today the time has come for her to undergo a very demanding, invasive and painfulleg lengthening surgery that will take a year of her life. If she did not have it done, she would face serious joint and back problems in the future. The innovative methodology that will be used on Lucija is much less painful than the traditional one, but it has a cost of about € 60000 that is not supported by the National Health Service.Lucija is very sensitive, she likes music, playing the piano and especially reading, so much so that she dreams of becoming a writer. Who knows that one day she might tell the story of a little girl who, climbing a mountain on her own legs, discovered that she was not alone, meeting Jesus in the affection and support of so many friends who accompanied her to the top, just as she welcomed so many brothers and sisters into her own family in simplicity and gratuitousness.Therefore, together with the large family of the Community, we seek the help of friends and those who wish to support us in this arduous journey of healing for our daughter.You can support this project in two ways: Donate to our already active personal fundraiser: any contribution, even the smallest, will make a difference. If, on the other hand, you want to do something even bigger, activate a personal fundraiser and help us involve many new people we otherwise could not reach by asking your friends, family and colleagues to support you with a donation.
Together with Lucija: a life-changing operation!
Fundraising by Roberto Ciferri
Hi, we are Ivana and Roberto, mom and dad from the Family House "St. Mary Untying Knots," and we are part of the Pope John XXIII Community.
Our daughter Lucija is 12 years old and grew up among many brothers and sisters who needed a family, to whom she first opened the door of her home, welcoming them for a while or forever. Today she has four adopted sisters, who have been joined over the years by other minors, single mothers freed from prostitution, mentally and physically disabled people, young volunteers and a few newborn brothers or sisters to raise and cuddle in the first months while waiting for an adoptive family.
Lucija has suffered since birth from congenital femoral/tibial hypoplasia in her right leg, a rare limb malformation consisting of a growth of the bones of the right leg inferior to the left leg, associated with a lack of cruciate ligament in the knee.
Currently, the dysmetria has exceeded 8 cm, and Lucija walks wearing an orthopedic shoe with a heavy elevation and, in order to be able to practice activities like her peers, she has compensated, as far as she has been able, by walking on her toes, managing to attend artistic gymnastics, swimming, modern dance, and scouting. As her dysmetria increased and she became more aware of her disease, she also grew to feel great distress in feeling that she was not "being like others." Lucija longs to wear shoes like her friends and to participate freely in activities that she now faces with difficulty, such as a simple walk, and after which she feels pain in her hip, foot, and back as soon as the exertion is a little greater than normal.
Today the time has come for her to undergo a very demanding, invasive and painfulleg lengthening surgery that will take a year of her life. If she did not have it done, she would face serious joint and back problems in the future. The innovative methodology that will be used on Lucija is much less painful than the traditional one, but it has a cost of about € 60000 that is not supported by the National Health Service.
Lucija is very sensitive, she likes music, playing the piano and especially reading, so much so that she dreams of becoming a writer. Who knows that one day she might tell the story of a little girl who, climbing a mountain on her own legs, discovered that she was not alone, meeting Jesus in the affection and support of so many friends who accompanied her to the top, just as she welcomed so many brothers and sisters into her own family in simplicity and gratuitousness.
Therefore, together with the large family of the Community, we seek the help of friends and those who wish to support us in this arduous journey of healing for our daughter.
You can support this project in two ways:
- Donate to our already active personal fundraiser: any contribution, even the smallest, will make a difference.
- If, on the other hand, you want to do something even bigger, activate a personal fundraiser and help us involve many new people we otherwise could not reach by asking your friends, family and colleagues to support you with a donation.
63,045 €
100%
53,000 €
177 Donations
The fundraiser supports the project: An operation for Lucija
Total project goal:
60.000 €
Ivana and Roberto, members of the Pope John XXIII Community, are the mother and father of little Lucija affected since birth by a malformation that caused her lower limbs to become dysmetria. Today Lucija has the opportunity to undergo leg lengthening surgery, which has a cost of €60,000. Your help is crucial to enable her to undergo the surgery and start living the life she has always dreamed of.
The surgery went well!
10/18/2024
Dear friends,
the surgery was successful! Lucija had the intramedullary nail in her femur and a very heavy external fixator applied to her tibia, which does not allow her to lift her leg on her own. The day after surgery she was already able to take her first steps on crutches, and after a couple of nights in the hospital, she was discharged and we returned to the family home in Mombaroccio. She has started using a wheelchair that allows her to keep her leg extended at all times, and since Sunday, lengthening of the limb has begun.
Lucija has been very brave in facing this moment, and the doctors have shown not only professionalism but also great humanity both toward her and toward us as parents. While at home, community brothers and sisters and friends huddled around us to enable us to devote these days to Lucija, without neglecting the other little ones taken in.
In these early days Lucija also realized that for many months she will find herself dependent on us for many things that were normal for her before. After some initial crying, even though she feels fatigue and pain from the muscles that are beginning to pull, she has shown herself to be very motivated in the journey that has just begun and, to our surprise, she is bringing out unexpected energy and also a beautiful ability to be ironic about her condition, strongly desiring to maintain relationships with friends, school and a normal life as much as she can today.
Every fortnight we will have to return to Milan to check the growth of the limb. The next few months will be very intense and we hope that everything will go well.
We will never cease to thank you all for the support you have given us and are continuing to give us.
May the Lord bless you all,
Roberto and Ivana with Lucija
OCTOBER 8: Lucija is having surgery!
10/07/2024
Dear friends,
with a heart full of fear and courage in the face of this important step, of amazement and gratitude to all those who are supporting us, of hope and trust in the Father, who with his providence and tenderness accompanies us, we have arrived at the time of the surgery for Lucija, which will take place tomorrow, Tuesday, October 8 at 11 a.m. The surgery is expected to last about five hours, after which we will remain in the hospital for three days.
It has been a long time of waiting for Lucija, full of questions and doubts, a lot of fear, anxiety and little sleep, and at the same time a lot of desire to start this journey that we know, from the stories of family friends who are going through the same journey with their children, will be very challenging both physically and emotionally, but that gives her hope that she will be able to walk and run like other kids her age.
Lucija talks every day about the surgery with us, with her sisters, but also at school and with her friends, because she says there is nothing to hide and she does not want to be alone. We hope that she can feel accompanied by many, just as we have until now. In the image on the side we have transcribed a thought of hers that she wanted to share with you.
We still ask for your prayers for Lucija, that the surgery will be successful and that this year will be a year of grace for her life, in her encounter with Jesus, and that our family will be allowed to know how to be there for her especially in times of suffering and darkness. We will update you as soon as possible about both the surgery and the course of the healing journey.
We entrust our little big brave Lucija to the protection of our heavenly Mother and to Don Oreste and Sandra, our brothers in the light.
Again a heartfelt thank you,
Ivana and Roberto with Lucija
Your support has moved us
08/05/2024
Thanks to all of you, friends, who in just over two months have enabled us, through your donations, to reach, indeed exceed, the amount needed for Lucija's surgery. Everything extra that was donated to us will be used for examinations, tests, travel, rehabilitation and for the final removal of the metal supports that will allow the lengthening of the leg (Ilizarov external fixator endomidullary nail), which were not included in the initial cost of the surgery. We have experienced as a caress from God the support and closeness you have shown us, and we are moved by how the Father provides for his children, especially those who are most in need.
Last July 15, we returned to Humanitas Hospital in Milan for another visit with Dr. Alexander Kirienko. The X-ray showed that the femur will have to be lengthened by about 7 cm, and the tibia just under 2 cm, in addition to correction of the foot posture. The doctor proposed that we have the surgery in early October next year, probably on the 8th.
Lucija is full of questions, but she is also very eager to face this surgery. Today we are preparing with her and the whole family in anticipation of this important step, confident that the Father will accompany Lucija with us, also through the prayer and closeness of you, our Community and many other friends. We will update you as soon as we have confirmation of the date of the surgery.
Ivana and Roberto with Lucija
