Hello, friends, acquaintances and strangers good people.

My name is Stanimir Dobrev I am 29 years old and I want to tell you my story!

When I was little I loved sports a lot, my dream was to be a football player! But life decided to test me when I was only 14.

On 06.05.2009, I suffered a serious car accident,exactly on the Day of Bravery and the Bulgarian Army holiday! In an instant, I received a spinal cord injury that immobilized me from the waist down.

On 06.05.2009, I was taken to the hospital - gr. On 06.06.2009 I was taken to the hospital in Dobrich, where I had tests which showed that I had a fracture of the vertebrae Th 8 and Th 9. Due to the absence of a neurosurgeon in the hospital - gr. I was transported to St. I was taken to St. Anne's Hospital in Dobrich. Varna. Dr. Kharitonov and his team took me there. After the examinations they decided to do an emergency operation, after which they told my family and me that the spinal cord was not affected and that there was still conduction! Up until the actual surgery I had sensation and control of my pelvic tanks. When I woke up from surgery, my sensitivity and sensations were already diminished.

On 09.05.2009 I had the second surgery to place implants to stabilize my spine and speed recovery. Unfortunately, however, I left the hospital in a wheelchair...

All these months instead of getting better, I was getting worse.

I was experiencing discomfort after the implants were placed and so we sent epicrises and imaging studies - MRIs to Dr. Pilinkov, who is a neurosurgeon at Tokuda Hospital - Tokuda. We have also received a medical report. Within a week I received a reply that I had to go to Sofia urgently. The new examinations at the neurosurgery clinic showed that the implants were placed incorrectly ( crookedly ), which led to spinal cord injuries. A third operation followed to remove the implants. Upon completion, Dr. Pilinkov informed us that the surgery was successful and that after the implants were removed, the spinal cord began to have conduction and function properly. I was again recommended intensive rehabilitation, which helped me a lot in the aftermath. Over time some of my sensation recovered but unfortunately not completely. I can get around thanks to aids. So I started with daily training and hard rehabilitation, great patience and re-education of my spirit and a change in my lifestyle. Every day since then, I have been waging a daily struggle against the challenges my condition presents me.

Despite being confined to a wheelchair for 14 years now I have not given up for a moment. I have not given up on my dream of walking again and leading a normal life.Thanks to advances in medicine, I now have the opportunity to heal through an innovative experimental surgical intervention that will be performed at a neurosurgery clinic in Turkey. To my deep regret, the procedure is not yet practiced in Bulgaria.

This is how I found out about prof. Toktash, who has research in this field. I went to him with great hope. He looked at all the imaging studies and suggested an experimental treatment - nerve transfer around the injured part of the spinal cord. He said that in a case like mine there was nothing else to try and that there was no guarantee of success.

But, understand me, I am obliged to try. After the operation, if the nerves manage to make their way, there may be a result in 6 months, maybe a year. This is because they grow very slowly and take time. The amount needed for this operation is 15 800 euros.

Unfortunately my family does not have the financial ability to provide me with the treatment, so I am forced to ask for your help and trust in the kindness of people.

Good people, I ask for your help because without you I would not be able to realise my dream of walking again and leading a normal life. Without your help I could not be happy again. With the only hope and faith in the kindness of people I live, to realize my dream to walk again, to work, to pay my taxes and insurance, to become a full member of society and most importantly, to start a family. and to make my parents happy with grandchildren.

With gratitude and hope, Stanimir Dobrev.