Hello,

My name is JoAnn Smith. I’m organizing this fundraiser on GoFundMe on behalf of Deya Kotseva and her loved ones, her parents, Desi & Aleksander. I have the privilege of being part of Deya’s extended family through marriage on my mother’s side of our family residing in Bulgaria. Right now, they are facing the most heartbreaking fight of their lives and they need help desperately. What follows is a heartfelt letter from Deya’s aunt, Alexandrina, sharing Deya’s story. Please let’s band together and help.

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My name is Alexandrina, and I am the aunt of a truly extraordinary little girl—my niece, Deya. She’s just five years old, but already facing a battle no child should ever have to fight. She has been diagnosed with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG)—an extremely rare and aggressive brain tumor that attacks the brainstem and leaves very little room for hope.

Just weeks ago, Deya was full of life and joy. She loved riding her bike and snowboard, swimming, chasing her friends around the playground, and discovering the world with wide, curious eyes. But in a single moment, everything changed.

On March 18, 2025, only a week after she began showing sudden and frightening symptoms—eye misalignment, slurred speech, difficulty eating, and trouble with balance—we heard the devastating words no family is ever prepared for. Her diagnosis split our lives in two: before DIPG, and after.

What’s even more heartbreaking is that Deya understands what’s happening to her. She feels her body changing.

She asks, “Why can’t I ride my bike anymore?” “Why doesn’t my voice sound the same?” “Why is eating so hard?”

And we—her family, who love her more than anything in the world—are left without answers. All we can do is hold her tighter and keep fighting for her.

Right now, Deya is undergoing radiation therapy until May 16th in Bulgaria. On May 26, 2025, she has a crucial appointment in Munich, Germany, with one of the leading specialists in DIPG—Prof. Dr. Bernhard Mayer at TUM Klinikum. This consultation may open the door to further treatment and give us a fighting chance to slow the progression of this terrible disease. But it comes at a cost we cannot cover alone which is why we are asking for donors and support to help with the heavy anticipated costs from therapy outside of their country. 

We have just 30 days to raise the funds needed for this trip, this treatment, and the hope it brings.

At the end of these 30 days, any donations will directly transferred to Deya’s mother in Bulgaria, to be used immediately for:

• Travel to and from Germany (05/15/25 - tickets purchased for their flight to Germany for Deya’s appointment in 7 days)

 

• Accommodations for Deya and her parents (05/15/25 - accommodations purchased for her parents to the hospital Germany in 7 days) 

• Medical consultations and procedures (05/15/25 - Deya is finished with radiotherapy at the hospital in Bulgaria! The healthcare coverage of children from birth until the age of 18 allows for Deya’s radiotherapy, oncology services, and diagnostics in Bulgaria to be fully covered. 

Since they were not able to get into a clinical trial at CHOA in Atlanta near our family here in the United States, Deya’s family have kept their appointment on May 25th in Germany and are waiting for responses from Zurich and other European hospitals for possible treatment after reviews of her case. ) 

• Daily expenses related to Deya’s care

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**Update: 05/13/2025, via international wire transfer, Desi (Deya’s mom, successfully received all the donations that the GoFundMe platform had transferred in the currency of dollars to Euros. The transfer was made in Euros because the cost for diagnostics and, if possible, treatment at the hospital in Germany will have to be paid in their currency of Euros. 

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Your continued support has helped us reach our tentative goal based on the initial estimate in time! 

We appreciate family, friends, colleagues, and supporters from all corner sharing this campaign on social media platforms, through word of mouth, and during local fundraising events in Pernik, Bulgaria, where Deya’s family calls home. 

Please—stand with us. Share Deya’s story. Send this message to someone who might be able to help. Every single donation, no matter the size, every kind word, and every moment you spend helping us spread the word brings us one step closer to giving Deya more time… more smiles… and more chances to be the joyful little girl she still is inside.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for caring.

With love and hope,

Alexandrina

(Deya’s Aunt)

Please help us give Deya what DIPG tries to steal:

Time. Time to be a child. Time to be loved. Time to hope.

Thank you for reading, sharing, and donating.

With love and gratitude,

JoAnn Smith

Organizer/beneficiary of the GoFundMe campaign for recipients: Deya Kotseva & her parents: Desi Lyatova & Aleksander Kotsev 

(On behalf of Deya’s family in Bulgaria)