Finding Hope in the Face of a Rare Disease

Step into the Malecki family’s Goodness Village apartment, and you can feel the warmth, laughter, and love. The sound of little giggles and the sight of two brothers playing video games together will instantly brighten your day. The room is alive with creativity, with Lego sets being constructed and puzzles being solved.

But behind these moments of joy lies a heartbreaking reality. Anna and Piotr Malecki have spent seven long years searching for a treatment option to slow the progression of their 10-year-old son Adam’s rare medical condition. As a physician himself, Piotr has seen his fair share of illnesses, but nothing could have prepared him for learning that his own child has a disease with no known cure.

The family finally found hope with a new treatment being offered in Little Rock. Piotr and Anna were now faced with the daunting challenge of traveling from their home in Myslowice, located in southern Poland. To help them with the logistics of travel and finding a home in a foreign country, their hospital social worker recommended Goodness Village. Anna, Piotr, Adam and their 7-year-old son Michal, were able to move into a fully furnished apartment upon their arrival.

“Goodness Village is amazing,” Piotr says. “We have everything we need in the apartment, and if we need something, all we have to do is ask. We feel safe here, and all we have to worry about is Adam’s treatment.” Anna adds, “When we first arrived in Little Rock, we didn’t have a rental car yet, and one of your volunteers picked us up at 6:00 a.m. to take us to the hospital for an appointment. We never expected to be so cared for during our stay here.”

And that’s what Goodness Village is all about – providing a home away from home for families like the Maleckis during their time of need. While Mother’s Day will be celebrated differently this year, Anna has been given the greatest gift of all – hope. And that hope is what keeps this family going, even in the face of uncertainty.