Campaign Status

Campaign Completed: The campaign has achieved successful funding, raising $110,490 through:

• Online and offline donations: $12,000
• Viva Pharm: $25,000
• A Major sponsorship: $43,850
• A government-organized competition called Roadmap for Businesses: $11,000
• Center for Employment: $18,640

Summary

The campaign aims to support medical treatment for 1723 children with hemangioma.

Challenge

Most infantile hemangiomas typically manifest at birth or within the first few weeks after birth. Although hemangiomas often resolve on their own, in some instances, they may persist or lead to severe complications necessitating immediate medical attention.

At the start of the 2000s, there was limited access to adequate cancer or hemangioma treatment in Kazakhstan. For families without sufficient financial resources, which is the case for most, they were often left to cope with the condition. Despite several ambitious healthcare reforms aimed at enhancing services and infrastructure, and broadening access, little has changed. Kazakhstan still lacks standardized treatment approaches, medical professionals capable of diagnosing and providing hemangioma treatment, and modern equipment.

Solution

Hemangioma is usually treated in three ways, with laser treatment being the preferred method. But outdated practices in Kazakhstan often favor the surgical method, which leaves behind scars, frequently leading to relapses. The campaign aimed first to raise funds for the purchase of a portable laser device.

Within two months of the end of the campaign, Roza’s team secured a favorable deal on a loan to purchase the laser in July 2021. In this way, they could begin to use it immediately, helping all the families in line for treatment.

In a little over a year, the clinic has treated over 1700 children with the laser – from every region in Kazakhstan – and has also seen an increase in patients coming from nearby countries such as Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and even Russia.

The clinic has won a name for itself; indeed, many doctors across the country have referred patients with conditions resembling hemangioma to the clinic. It has also become the only place in Kazakhstan that specializes in treating children (even those younger than 1 years old) with hemangioma and other skin diseases using top notch laser equipment.