D. Dominik and his family
Dominik was born in January 2020, at 25 weeks gestation, as an extremely premature baby with a severe stroke and oxygen deprivation. In the first weeks of his life, he underwent several major surgeries: a section of his small intestine was removed, he had laser eye surgery and a hernia in his inguinal hernia. Doctors say he may never meet anyone and will only be able to lie down.
H. Emma and her family
Emma Hegedűs is a real little smiling Love Ball who will be 3 years old in May. She came into the world 3 months earlier than expected, weighing 800 grams, so that she could see her loving parents and the beauty of the world.
However, the early arrival came at a cost: he developed a stroke and, as a result, hydrocephalus, which required a shunt. Over the course of 1.5 years, his brain was operated on eight times due to shunt problems.
Adam M. and his family
Adam was born in August 2015 in Tiszaújlak, Transcarpathia. In the first three years of his life he developed nicely, without any problems, everything was according to his age.
But in 2019, just before her fourth birthday, she had unexpected difficulties: after a mild cold, her parents noticed that she was having trouble with her stairs. Genetic tests revealed a shocking result - Adam was found to suffer from a rare, serious genetic disorder, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which was thought to be incurable at the time.
S. Máté and his family
Máté is a true little hero, born healthy and happy in April 2007. His first years of life were fine, but in 2021 his mother noticed that Máté's spine was curved. During post-COVID tests, a 20 cm long spinal cord tumor was discovered, which presented him and his family with serious challenges.
He underwent surgery in Szeged in April 2022. The 12-hour surgery was followed by three weeks of intensive care, and Máté was able to leave the Szeged New Clinic in June. His recovery continued at Bethesda Children's Hospital until October 2022, when he was transferred to OORI in Budakeszi to continue his rehabilitation.
I. Lia and her family
It all started in May 2024. One morning, a small, hard lump appeared on Lia's body, which at first didn't seem worrying. She was taken to a doctor, who initially suspected a sting. But as the bump did not go away and grew larger over time, the doctor came to a different conclusion: a haemangioma, a benign tumour.
M. Márk and his family
Márk was born on December 11, 2014, 8 months premature, and his life journey began with a quick home birth. The pregnancy and the first year passed without any problems, but over time, worrying changes began to appear. From the age of one, Márk's development slowed down, and a neurologist diagnosed him with hypoxia and developmental disorders.
Peter F. and his family
In August 2024, the family's life was turned upside down by an unexpected diagnosis: their nine-year-old son, Peti, was diagnosed with leukaemia. The news came as a shock to everyone. The family was split: the mother and her son stayed in Szeged for treatment, while the father stayed at home with the older child.
P. Petra, Tamás and family
The Pihokker family is raising two children with long-term illnesses and special educational needs. The family's daily life is characterised by the organisation, provision and financing of ongoing development and therapies.
Their youngest child, Tamás, now 2.5 years old, was born at 35 weeks with an Apgar score of 6/8 due to a CTG anomaly. He spent the first weeks of his life in the NIC/PIC ward. His motor development lagged behind his peers at an early age and he was diagnosed with generalised hypotonia. In November 2024, genetic testing confirmed that Thomas was affected by the infantile onset form of Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT 3) disease, which underlies his movement problems. He is now able to sit steadily, crawl regularly, cling to furniture, stand upright, and with the help of a rolling walker and AFO, he is becoming more adept at walking as he develops - but he cannot yet walk independently.
Peter L. and his family
Peti has recently been diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. This is a serious, rare disease that causes gradual muscle weakness, followed by muscle atrophy, eventually leading to complete muscle breakdown. A special gene therapy could be available abroad that could stop this process, but it would cost around 1.3 billion forints.
U. Alex and his family
Alex will be one year old in October. The investigation was triggered by a prolonged jaundice that has not gone away even after two months of age. Blood tests showed abnormally high liver function values. The local paediatrician was thorough and sent Alex for further tests at the hepatology department. There, his CK levels were measured twice - both times they were found to be extremely high: first 19,000 and then 11,000.