Madina Shungarina:
"Dear Partners, I am turning to you for help, because I have no one else to ask for assistance. I am 56 years old, I am not married, and have no children. I work as a physician, and I am an Investor Partner of Intway Corporation.
My problems started back in 1983, when I accidentally fell from the stairs at work and got a traumatic brain injury, mild brain concussion. There seemed to be no after-effects, and I started to forget about my trauma, but in 2001 I suddenly felt pain in the right shoulder. Gradually the pain spread down my back and the right side of the chest. Then weakness in shoulders appeared, limited movement of shoulder girdle and arms, lack of pain and temperature sensitivity in both arms and the upper part of the chest, puffiness and cyanosis of the right arm. Coughing and sneezing result in intense headache with irradiation into the arms.
Neurologist's diagnosis was "ostechondrosis of thoracocervical spine with radicular syndrome". I was permanently taking drug treatment, physiotherapy, exercise therapy, massage, hirudotherapy, gravity traction of cervical spine with up to 7 kg weight. However, the treatment had minor and short-term effect.
Only in February 2009 a neurologist diagnosed me with "syringomyelia". I underwent complete examination, including MRI of the whole spinal column and head, laboratory analysis, and obtained consultations of the leading neurosurgery professors in Almaty. Then I was examined by a neurosurgeon in China. His diagnosis was as follows: "Abnormality of ciarius II, syringomyelic cyst of cervical cord".
Chinese experts advised me to immediately undergo a surgery of spinal cord and brain, because my condition was deteriorating daily. The surgery and the subsequent rehabilitation in China require $10,000. Unfortunately, this amount is too large for me. I am asking for your help".
Farida Tokhtarova (sponsor of Madina Shungarina):
"Thank you so much in advance for your sympathy to the problems of Madina Shungarina! I am her sponsor, and I know how sick she is – for instance, she cannot lift her arms. Once I saw how she accidentally burnt her hands when turning on the gas burner and was surprised herself to see the blisters from the burns. Madina's neck bone has a large tuber.
Madina Shungarina is a highly respected physician in the city of Atyrau. She is a lonely person, and she cannot count on anyone's help. Nevertheless, very many people are grateful to her for her work and for her humanity. It was with the help of these patients (as they say, "many a little makes a mickle") that Madina Shungarina was sent for an examination to China. I am asking you to help this wonderful and sympathetic person".