Marta is a young, modest and kind student of Chemistry at Wroclaw University of Technology. Her friends say she is a nice and warm girl who always helps uninterestingly others. She is also a person that one might talk about everything with. Marta is a school leaver of Gimnazjum no 7, LO no 1 (Secondary School) and the music school in Gorzow Wlkp. In all these schools she has had a very good opinion. All the activities which have been taken by the schools in response to the news of the tragedy are proof of it. The headmistress of her middle school says that Marta was the pride of the school.

Marta participated in many charitable actions. For example on May 2nd 2007 together with the   “I Have a Dream” Foundation’s volunteers she visited ten-year-old Wojtek suffering from mucoviscidosis at his place in Kostrzyn. Wojtek’s dream was to have Lord Vader’s costume and to meet  fans of Star Wars (gallery, link). She also participated in the action called “The Imperium reads to children”. During that action that took place in a bookstore in Gorzów -  novels were read, quizzes and games were organized for the youngest  (gallery). She also helped, together with “I Have a Dream” Foundation to brothers from the town of Bieganow, who are ill will muscular dystrophy (gallery, link). Together with friends from Polish Outpost Legion 501st, she also supported the 15th Great Finale of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity in the TVP studio (gallery, link). It might seem ironic that The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity was promoting issues connected with first aid back then and Marta was actively taking part in it. Now unfortunately, she can illustrate the necessity of propagation of the methods of rescuing people through first aid.

 Nearly a year ago (on March 2nd, 2008) Marta was running to catch a bus at the bus stop but her heart did not make that effort. It stopped beating, and cerebral hypoxaemia happened as a result. None of the passers by helped Marta. When the ambulance arrived it was too late for her to come out of the accident intact…
 A long reanimation took place in the emergency ward in the hospital. Marta was put on intensive care, where she stayed unconscious until March 15th. Then she was transferred to Cardiology ward, to later spend 6 weeks in a clinic in Bydgoszcz.  
From July 23rd, 20-year-old Marta has stayed in Medical Care Institution in Gorzow Wielkopolski. She is guaranteed medical help and half a day rehabilitation. But her Mum decided for additional exercises to speed up her daughter’s convalescence.

Darek is in charge of afternoon rehabilitation which main aim is to counteract the contractures. He has worked with Marta since September, they exercise for one and a half hours every day and it already brings effects! Marta’s wrists are more and more relaxed and straightened. Novelty is exercises on a mattress, which are to enable Marta to turn from side to side in bed on her own.

Jola, a speech and language therapist is responsible for bringing back in Marta the ability to speak and swallow. The aim of the meetings is to sustain Marta’s current state and stimulate her development. Jola starts her every visit with a massage of Marta’s head, forehead and cheeks. Then she massages her palette and tongue with the use of special tools.  Jola has worked with Marta since mid August and already noticed progress in the work of the tongue, palette, as well as the mimics of her patient.

The reason for the accident was mitral regurgitation and tricuspid insufficiency. Marta’s heart disease was connected with some limitations. She could not participate in physical education classes or stand up for longer than 15 minutes. It never disturbed her social life though.

Marta’s friends and relatives are engaged in helping her. Her Mum visits her every day, prepares her breakfasts, and practices with her daughter. Marta’s Nana is with Marta from Monday to Friday, she cooks soups for her. Her Dad also visits Marta, and her siblings do all the housework.
The cost of Marta’s support is ca. 4500 PLN per month.  The disability pension in the amount of 470 PLN allows to cover only a small portion of the costs connected with Marta’s medical care. Marta’s stay in Medical Care Institution costs 300 PLN per month, custom-made shoes -  450 PLN, half-refunded wheel chair -  4500 PLN, those costs are covered by Edyta, Marta’s Mum who lost her job on October 1st.

A two weeks-long stay in Center of Therapeutic Horseback Riding and Rahabilitation in Zabajka is in Marta and her Mum’s plans. Until then Edyta wants to find out about the offers of medical centers in Kraków and Chrzanów as well as one of the clinics abroad where the costs of stay are about 20 000 PLN per month. Edyta is doing her best to start therapy with the use of light, dynamic parapodium enabling Marta’s verticalization, an important phase in her rehabilitation.  Purchase of a device analysing Marta’s blinking – which might lead to a breakthrough in communication with Marta. It is a device that cooperates with the brain enabling precise communication. Marta would choose letters on a special monitor building words and sentences. So far it works this way: two blinks for ‘yes’, no blink for ‘no.’

As a student of Chemisty in Wrocław University of Technology Marta dreamt of passing the exam in mathematical analysis. She really wanted to study pharmacy and this year she was supposed to retake her secondary school  leaving exam in chemistry to get a better grade.  Now the priorities are different: Marta dreams of being healthy again...

Her dream may come true. If her rehabilitation is still as intensive as it s now, in a few months, maybe years Marta will be able to function just as she did before the accident – normally.


Basic needs:

Everyday food (Marta is fed through a probe) – choice of proper foods, nutrients, vitamins and specimens. So far all the costs of Marta’s food were covered by her family, since hospital food leaves a lot to hope for.
Rehabilitation  - needed among other:  tracheotomy  tubes, physiotherapists’ care, etc.
Special cosmetics, ointments, etc.
Medical consultations.
Everyday, multiple trips of Marta’s family to hospital.