My cousin Ruslan was coming back from a fishing trip when he got into a serious accident — a head-on collision. He suffered a tibial fracture and multiple bruises. At the time, it felt like the worst thing that could happen.
But the real challenge was still ahead. During his recovery, he had a routine blood test. When the results came back, the lab called and urged him to call an ambulance immediately. That same day, Ruslan was hospitalized. The diagnosis was devastating — acute myeloblastic leukemia, an aggressive form of blood cancer.
After an emergency admission in Almaty, Ruslan and his wife traveled to Astana, to the National Scientific Oncology Center. Friends and colleagues came to see them off with posters and words of support. Just one day after being admitted, he was moved to intensive care, where he spent a week. Intensive chemotherapy started right away. The side effects were severe — he needed constant transfusions and supportive therapy to keep his vital signs stable.
Doctors discovered Ruslan had an FLT3 mutation, which required targeted therapy. Unfortunately, the medication didn’t have the desired effect.
He was just 1% short of achieving remission. Now, he’s undergoing a second round of therapy.
Doctors have recommended a different targeted drug — one that might finally help him reach remission. If that happens, he’ll undergo a bone marrow transplant. But the drug is not registered in Kazakhstan and isn’t covered by public insurance. One package costs around 12 million tenge (about $24,000), and he needs three packages.
Every day counts for Ruslan now. His chance of recovery depends on getting access to this life-saving treatment. Our family is doing everything we can — and we’re asking for help in raising the necessary funds. Ruslan dreams of returning to a normal life, contributing to society, and most importantly — being with his beloved wife and fulfilling their dream of becoming parents.
