Tomasz Lenkiewicz, mieszkaniec Wrocławia (woj. dolnośląskie) miał 13 miesięcy jak doszło do tragicznego wypadku. Wpadł z łóżeczka prosto do naczynia z gotującym się wrzątkiem. W następstwie wypadku Tomasz doznał bardzo rozległego oparzenia III stopnia, które objęło 45 % powierzchni ciała. Przeszedł bardzo ciężkich 8 operacji przeszczepu skóry. Tomasz ma bardzo twarde, przerośnięte i szpecące bliznowce na brzuchu, klatce piersiowej, lewym udzie i plecach, które znacznie ograniczają ruchomość i wywołują ogromne cierpienie w postaci trwałego chronicznego bólu na skutek przykurczy bliznowatych z powodu bardzo twardych i ciągnących bliznowców.

 Jedyną szansą na jego powrót do zdrowia są zabiegi laseroterapii frakcyjnej CO2, fal radiowych RF oraz rehabilitacji które uchronią przed dalszym przerostem oraz zmniejszą twardość blizny. Niestety leczenie blizn pooparzeniowych jest długotrwałym i kosztownym procesem.  

Tomasz obecnie stosuje kilka razy dziennie żele silikonowe oraz maści natłuszczające, które nie są wystarczające. Niestety Tomasza nie stać na długą serię zabiegów laseroterapii frakcyjnej CO2, fal radiowych RF oraz rehabilitacji, nic nie jest refundowane z NFZ, a jest to dla niego niesłychanie kosztowne! Ta suma jest nierealna, przekracza wszelkie jego możliwości finansowe.

Zaczyna czuć się bezradny. Coraz trudniej jest mu sprostać temu wszystkiemu finansowo, gdyż żyje tylko z zasiłku pielęgnacyjnego 215 PLN oraz zasiłku stałego 560 PLN. Tomasza nie stać na zabiegi laseroterapii frakcyjnej CO2, fal radiowych RF oraz rehabilitacji, może sobie jedynie o nich pomarzyć.

Pomóżmy Tomaszowi przejść przez ten trudny czas i dajmy mu szansę by mógł zawalczyć o swoje zdrowie.

English below:

Dear Fellow Countrymen,

I address this request to you with a heavy heart as I am forced to beg for your support on my way to independence and rehabilitation.  

My name is Tomasz Lenkiewicz. I am 44 and I am a disabled person (severe third-degree burns, thermoregulatory disorders, profound, bilateral hearing impairment).

I would like to ask you to give me a moment and read a story of my life...

I was born as a healthy child but my happy childhood did not last long. When I was 13 months old I sustained severe third-degree burns (chest, belly, left groin and left shoulder blade) as a result of a tragic accident - I fell off my cot into a boiling pot (medicinal herbs were boiling next to my bed as recommended by a physician). Consequently, I had to undergo 8 very serious, major, life-saving plastic skin graft surgeries. Unfortunately, my health condition did not improve after the surgery. Quite the opposite - it was the beginning of a long chain of suffering. My burn scars started to expand and harden instead of healing. Extensive and hard chelomas appeared and started to limit my mobility (I suffer from cicatricial contractures which lead to inability to reflect my body, which causes chronic pains, paraesthesias and vegetative disorders). In those times no modern ointments we know today were available (e.g. silicone ointments, gels and many others) - I could use only LINOMAG. You can only imagine the scope of damage to my musculocutaneous system as a result of very severe third-degree burns.

I suffer from incurable thermoregulatory disorders - hypothermia - which take form of significant fall of temperature of my body. The disturbance results from lack of thermoreceptors (permanently damaged thermoreceptors) and no protective barrier of the skin - impairment of mechanism of thermoregulation, which leads to quick loss of warmth (permanently damaged thermoreceptors). My skin could not develop its protective function during infancy - a healthy organism needs three years to develop this mechanism. Unfortunately, as a result of the burns the protective barrier of my skin was completely and permanently damaged and its development stopped. This impairment manifests itself in the form of shivers, pale skin, weakness, vertigo, anxiety, disorientation and panic fear of cold. I am unable to maintain stable body temperature and loose warmth very fast.

The autumn and winter is a time of complete ‘lockdown’ for me. I am unable to function outside on cold days. The same applies for air-conditioned rooms - I loose warmth very quickly. I get shivers and chills seizures which paralyse my body and prevent me from staying outside. Whenever it happens, I have to run to a warm place and cover myself with a duvet to make my body warm and get rid of the shivers.

I have been permanently unfit for work for nearly twenty years due to my health issues. I live a life below the minimum subsistence level with the benefits I get from MOPS (Municipal Social Welfare Centre) - attendance benefit of PLN 215 and a permanent social benefit of PLN 560. I have been fighting desperately for justice with ZUS (Social Insurance Office) since 1998 to get a modest social pension - unfortunately with no success. ZUS sees my burn-related issues merely as a cosmetic defect and does not care about opinions of physicians who supervise my treatment or my thorough and detailed medical documentation - the experts appointed by ZUS know better.

My health condition is very serious and results from long-term negligence (due to lack of funds for proper treatment). I require urgent and long-term rehabilitation which is absolutely necessary but non-refundable (specialist, burn-related rehabilitation is not refunded by NFZ (National Health Fund)).

I won't get my health back but long-lasting and systematic rehabilitation could prevent its deterioration as well as improve the condition of my burn scars, my mobility and flexibility. What I need is urgent low-level laser therapy, physical therapy, kinesiotherapy, medical trainings and individual exercise sessions with a therapeutist. 

I strongly believe that long-lasting and systematic rehabilitation would reduce my health issues to some extent, especially my pains, and I could start to look for some temporary work during Spring and Summer. 

It is really hard to live on my benefits only, and currently I can afford virtually nothing - neither my therapy, nor my rehabilitation or basic everyday needs such as food or medications.

I dream about being able to create my own home office (with a laptop computer, multi-function printer, a camera and a smartphone) to be able to develop my skills - my passion for photography - to be able to work on my own and become independent. But most of all to become self-reliant, earn my own living and never be afraid about my future and never be forced to beg for other people's help.

I am genuinely scared that I may end up in the street one day because the benefits I get, and no opportunity to get any (even temporary) work gives me very little chance to get by.  

That is why I am asking for your support Dear Countrymen - to be able to start my rehabilitation and move forward on my way to independence. 

My last hope lies in You as I am afraid that depression might kill me - since I am absolutely determined to fight this battle to the end. 

I fight for survival every day - for a piece of bread, for my future - but fear for my future and anxiety virtually paralyse me. I am really ashamed that I have to walk along the streets, enter shops, restaurants and bars to ask people to buy a key ring from me (I am trying to earn at least some money to survive).

I am asking with all my heart for Your support. I know that times are hard and it is not easy for anyone to make a living these days. If you cannot support me, I would be truly grateful for forwarding my fund-raising link to your friends and family, to give me a chance to reach out for other people's help. 

I am as determined as you could only imagine and will do what it takes to become independent and stand on my own two feet. 

I have faith in God. And kindness that is in people. May this kindness always come back to everyone. May the Lord give us all his grace that we need every day on our long way towards Him.   

Every little bit of Your support will be worth its weight in gold to me.

Thank you in advance for your support! God bless you!

Tomasz Lenkiewicz