Until recently, Illia was an active, cheerful boy who never complained about feeling unwell. But one day, he said his head hurt badly. He even asked to close the curtains — the light made the pain worse.

Doctors decided to do a CT scan, which revealed a tumor in the boy’s brain. Just a few days later, at the neurosurgery department of the Clinical Center of Children’s Healthcare in Lviv, Illia underwent a seven-hour operation. He is now continuing his treatment there — radiation and chemotherapy.

“I cry all the time, but he almost never does. He just says, ‘Mom, I’ll get better.’ He’s such a strong boy,” shares Illia’s mother, Inna.

Before the illness, Illia didn’t really like going to school. He was a lively, mischievous boy who would sometimes even toss his textbooks away. Now he often says, “I really want to go to school — to see my friends.”

Children like Illia can return to their childhood only with your help. Make a donation to give them everything they need to recover.