Robi is an 18 year old boy who needs to go to Italy to have cell transplantation as he has B Cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma.

He currently lives in Oradia in Romania and was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma in 2013. He was treated at the hospital there.

In 2017 he relapsed and was diagnosed with B Cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma. He has been treated in the Haematology Department in Oradea but the doctors cannot do any more for him there. He needs to go to Italy to be able to have the transplant.

Robi needs financial help for the costs of transport and accommodation in Italy for him and his mother (Robi won't be in the hospital all the time). He will also need daily expenses such as food and medication.

Together we can help Robi 🤗 - Please donate to faise funds.

Want to know a bit more?

I first met Robi in October 2015 when I went on a voluntary trip to help patients from Emmanuel Hospice in Romania. At the time Robi was 16 years old and in remission from Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. He had wanted to be a bodybuilder and actor but he had been forced to stop his training because of the cancer. He and his mum live in a three room apartment and the group I went with helped paint and decorate their lounge/bedroom and put in a working bathroom for them.

Robi and his mum were really grateful for our team's help and communicated with us (even with the language barriers), made us welcome by cooking for us and sharing everything they had with us. They accepted us Brits into their home, made us Romanian coffee and we finished our time with them feeling we were leaving behind friends who felt like family.

I have teenage children and meeting Robi hit me hard as there are only a few months in age between him and my oldest child. Seeing what he had gone through at his young age and how strong he was, both for himself and his family, was a real inspiration to me. Meeting his Mum was lovely and also painful as again I put myself in her shoes and couldn't imagine what she had gone through. No mother likes feeling they are unable to help their child or make them feel better - we are hardwired to hold them and tell them it'll all be alright.

I kept in touch with Robi and his mum through Facebook and in October 2017 returned to Oradea for a quick visit to the Hospice and some of the patients we had helped. We were aiming to meet Robi and his mum in their home but plans had to be changed as Robi had relapsed, and had been admitted to hospital, but we were so grateful to be able to meet him and his mum there. (This is a photo of us in the hospital with them.)

Even with the situation he was going through Robi was still a strong, mature, loving young man and I was again amazed by his maturity and inner strength. He deserves to live, and live life at its full.

Since October he has been in and out of hospital and his immune system has been low for about two months, meaning he was unable to leave the hospital. Now his immune system has started to get better and he will be able to leave and travel for treatment.

How much does he need?

Robi's cost for treatment is not cheap. He needs about 900 Euros per month for accommodation (for him and his mum together). He will need to stay there for about a year for the whole process of the transplant.

At the moment he has 2000 Euros which has been fundraised for him by friends and family in Romania. This which will help him for about a month and a half as this will cover his travel costs and other expenses.

I have set a target of £1000 which will cover a month and a bit of Robi's treatment and accomodation costs. I would love to smash this target. If this was my child I would do anything to get them the treatment they need, please contribute anything as every little will help. Thank you so much.

What is Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma?

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is an uncommon cancer that develops in the lymphatic system, which is a network of vessels and glands spread throughout your body.

The lymphatic system is part of your immune system. Clear fluid called lymph flows through the lymphatic vessels and contains infection-fighting white blood cells known as lymphocytes.

In non-Hodgkin lymphoma, the affected lymphocytes start to multiply in an abnormal way and begin to collect in certain parts of the lymphatic system, such as the lymph nodes (glands). The affected lymphocytes lose their infection-fighting properties, making you more vulnerable to infection.

For more on Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma click here