But a few years ago, Aliona became the one who needed help herself.

When she was ten, her skin suddenly turned yellow. At first, her parents thought she had simply eaten too many tangerines. But when the whites of her eyes turned yellow too, they knew something was seriously wrong.

Aliona was diagnosed with a liver disease. She spent more than six months in treatment before finally returning to her normal life.

But just a few months later, she began feeling extremely tired. Bruises appeared on her body, and she started bleeding. This time, doctors diagnosed her with a serious blood disorder.

Aliona needed a bone marrow transplant. She has now been recovering for almost a year and has been unable to return home to Dnipropetrovsk Oblast throughout that time.

One severe complication badly affected her skin, causing it to peel off.

“It was incredibly painful and frightening. She didn’t even speak for two months,” her mother recalls.

The complication left patches on Aliona’s skin. But she has already decided how she feels about them: “I’ll be like a leopard.”

Now, what Aliona wants most is to go home, return to school, and finally have the whole “zoo” of pets she has been dreaming about.

Your support helps children get what they need throughout long and difficult treatment. Make a donation to support children like Aliona on their journey to recovery.