In brief

• Danuta Stenka asked for financial help to treat her husband, who has been diagnosed with plasma cell myeloma.
• CAR-T therapy, considered a chance for long-lasting remission, costs about PLN 2 million in Poland and is not reimbursed.
• The fundraiser received broad support, although some negative comments also appeared.

The actress's appeal and the diagnosis

Danuta Stenka posted a video on social media in which she announced that her husband is struggling with a cancer of the blood-forming system. It is plasma cell myeloma, which, as the actress says, attacked the man within a few weeks (Polacy mają wielkie serca. Taką kwotę na leczenie męża Danuty Stenki zebrano. "Wciąż nam trudno uwierzyć..." – Dziennik.pl) (Janusz Grzelak choruje na szpiczaka mnogiego. Jakie były pierwsze objawy>? - Zdrowie w INTERIA.PL – interia.pl). Janusz Grzelak began complaining of back pain in September. The discomfort intensified, and abdominal pain also appeared. Imaging studies revealed tumors in the area of the spine and on the right side of the abdominal cavity (Dramatyczny apel Danuty Stenki. Chodzi o męża aktorki. To poważna sprawa. Chodzi o duże pieniądze | Express Ilustrowany – expressilustrowany.pl) (Mąż Danuty Stenki ciężko chory. Niesamowite, co udało się zrobić w dwa dni | Strona Zdrowia – stronazdrowia.pl). Initially, lymphoma was suspected, but further diagnostics confirmed myeloma.

Why treatment is so expensive

The disease has damaged the patient's kidneys and spine („Terapia, która może uratować mu życie, jest nierefundowana”. Dramat męża Danuty Stenki ujawnia problem terapii CAR-T - wiadomości Medycyna i Zdrowie – politykazdrowotna.com). Doctors point to CAR-T therapy as a chance for long-lasting remission. The method involves modifying the patient's own immune cells, which then attack the cancer cells. The therapy is included in the recommendations of international scientific societies, but in Poland it is not funded from public sources (Mąż Danuty Stenki choruje na szpiczaka. Po dramatycznym apelu licznik zbiórki bije błyskawicznie – NewsMed.pl – newsmed.pl).

The fundraiser and public reaction

After the appeal, the fundraiser quickly gained support. The actress thanked donors, writing that they had become angels to them. However, negative comments directed at the family also appeared.

A problem broader than one family

The case shows that access to modern cancer therapies in Poland depends on reimbursement and patients' financial means. The Ministry of Health announces plans to regulate access to medicines more clearly and to introduce co-financing of treatment by pharmaceutical companies.