I'm Karina, Carolina's mother. I'm writing this at night when the house is supposed to be quiet, but instead, my entire being is shaking.

Almost every mother knows the fear and worry over your child, but until the moment comes, you really don't understand how deep the fear can go.💔

We are a family of five. We have three girls who fill the house with their sweet voices and contagious laughter.

Miriam is fourteen, Martha is thirteen, and Carolina is eleven. Three sisters, three worlds, and three hearts.🤍

My husband Martin is a father who holds everything together even when he himself is broken. I see it in his eyes… how he tries to stay stable for the girls, even when we can't breathe from stress.

And our Carolina, our child who is now so sick, is a girl you can't help but fall in love with.😔

She is crazy about arts and crafts. She loves them so much that she can sit for hours on end, sorting beads by color, making little cards, building things out of cardboard, gluing, decorating, inventing a whole world under a small kitchen table.

She also loves tennis. She loves order, movement, and that moment when the ball comes at her and she must decide how to hit it. Even when she loses, she just laughs, since the main thing is that she was there playing.

And her dream, perhaps the most heartbreaking to hear now, is to be a dentist, since she is always saying that a person's smile is everything and that a smile can save worlds.

But in March 2025, her own smile started to disappear.

At first, it wasn't so dramatic. It started with things that looked like she was just very tired. But then it became a fatigue that didn't make sense for an eleven-year-old girl. Afterwards, she started to have headaches and nausea in the mornings.

But then came the moment when Carolina looked at me and whispered, "Mommy, I'm seeing double."

Shortly afterwards came the small stumbles. She was unsteady and her balance would disappear for a moment. Then came the throwing up in the morning. I saw that it was not from an upset stomach, but from internal stress.

I took her to the hospital and anyone who hasn't experienced it will not understand. The experience of waiting in a hospital hallway is terrible. Minutes turn into hours as you look at your child and force a smile, so she won't be scared… but you're falling apart inside.😢

They did tests on her. They did scans on her. They did an MRI on her. Then they called us into the room. The doctor spoke quietly, sad eyes even though he was trying to be professional. He said the name that echoes in my head to this day, over and over again.

"Diffuse Midline Glioma (DMG), with the H3 K27M mutation."🧠

It is an aggressive brain tumor that attacks the midline structures of the brain: the thalamus, brainstem, and spinal cord. These are the places where our body regulates the most basic functions like breathing, swallowing, movement, balance, nerve functions.

The doctor explained that there was no clean "growth" that could be simply removed, since it is an extremely invasive tumor where the cancer cells are intertwined with vital brain tissue. Performing a full operation is impossible because it would pose an immediate threat to Carolina's life.

He also told us something that was hard for me to understand at the time. In Carolina's situation, regular chemotherapy would have trouble penetrating the blood-brain barrier in a concentration high enough to fight the tumor. Also, the mutation, H3 K27M, responds poorly to standard treatment and causes the cells to behave in an especially aggressive way.😔

When I left the doctor's room, I didn't understand how people in the hallway were still walking and talking normally, still buying coffee. Because I live in a completely different world now.

Carolina has had so much radiation! And those endless tests! She has already gone through everything needed for the next stage. She is only eleven years old, but she has learned to be strong in a way that I don't believe can be asked of a child. She lies in bed during treatments but tries to make us laugh. She asks if we can go out and play a little later.

Radiation usually provides temporary relief. It can shrink the tumor for a limited time, improve symptoms, and give a little window to breathe from. But usually, this disease starts progressing again within months. That's when we realized we had to look for something beyond standard treatment. Not because we believe in magic, but because we believe in facts.

I want to say this as fair as possible: There is no treatment that guarantees a cure. No promise. No magic. But there are experimental treatments specifically designed for this mutation, and they sometimes provide a partial response or significant extension of life that cannot be achieved through standard treatment. For us, that is the difference between remaining helpless and really fighting.🙏

In recent years, drugs have been developed that target this mutation. For example, there are studies with the drug ONC201 (Dordaviprone) and other similar drugs. We found a hospital in Boston that is conducting clinical trials specifically for DMG with H3 K27M.🎗️

Carolina has already undergone all the tests and countless radiation treatments. We are not at the beginning, but deep into the process. A trip to Boston is not our dream vacation, it is a lifeline for Carolina!

But the costs are insane. Hundreds of thousands of dollars. Advanced experimental treatment, tests, preparation of personalized treatment, prolonged hospitalization and close medical monitoring. This is all before flights, accommodation, food, transfer of an entire life to a foreign city… while Carolina's two sisters are at home trying to be children despite their crying hearts.

Martin and I do everything we can. We emptied our savings. We asked for help. We gave up things we never dreamed we'd have to give up. And still, we don't come even close to the amount of money needed.💔

This is why I'm turning to you. Not because it's easy or because I enjoy asking, but because, as a mother, I have no right to give up on her only chance.

Carolina is eleven years old. She was diagnosed in March 2025. Her diagnosis is DMG with the H3 K27M mutation. The treatment that can give her another chance at life is in Boston. The cost is hundreds of thousands of dollars.

I am not asking you to feel sorry for us. I am asking you to help us give her a chance at life. If you can donate, even a small amount will help. Please, if you can help, even a small donation can make a difference.🙏

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