Irina Patoska — our new beneficiary and the younger sister of Salomia. The girls share not only a family bond but also a fight for a healthy future. Ira has been diagnosed with the same rare and insidious condition — Moyamoya disease.

A message from Mariyana, Salomia’s mother:
“It happened in the spring of 2021. Ira and I went to church, and as we stepped inside, she suddenly collapsed — her legs had given out. The symptoms were very similar to Salomia’s. We rushed to the hospital, but instead of receiving help, we were referred to a psychotherapist. She insisted my daughter was mimicking her sister’s behavior.”

When Salomia was diagnosed with Moyamoya, Mariyana literally begged the doctors to examine Ira as well. But they kept saying that such a diagnosis couldn’t possibly occur in two children from the same family — it affects only 1 in 2 million people. Unfortunately, after an MRI, Ira was also diagnosed with Moyamoya.

Thanks to caring people, the family managed to raise funds for the first surgery. In April 2025, Professor Nadia Khan at the Children’s Hospital Moyamoya Center in Zurich performed a complex procedure, restoring 2 out of 4 brain vessels damaged by the disease.
But Ira’s recovery has been slower than her sister’s. One of the stitches is healing poorly. In May, something terrible happened — she suffered a 30-minute ischemic attack. Her brain is in serious danger. She urgently needs to undergo the second stage of treatment.

Thanks to your kind hearts and the generosity of a compassionate donor, we were able to close Irina’s fundraising campaign on time. Her surgery is scheduled for August 15, 2025. We’ll keep you updated with all the news.