‘Despite everything he’s going through, Oskar keeps focusing on what is still possible. We’re so proud of him.’

Oskar did not have an easy start in first grade. In the mornings he often felt nauseous and developed other symptoms. Oskar’s mother, Marta, did not feel comfortable with the situation. ‘Could it be cancer?’ The worst scenario became reality. At the age of six, Oskar is diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a tumor in his brain. His parents, Marta and Jarek, share their story.

Always active and cheerful

Marta explains: ‘We are from Krakow, a city in Poland. We have been living in The Hague since 2011. That is also where Oskar was born. We feel at home here. Oskar is an active child. He loves soccer, basketball, judo, and playing outside. But at one point he became weaker and withdrew a little. We were not immediately worried. Oskar was the only one in his class who moved on to group 3. He entered a new class without his best friends. That is of course very exciting. We thought: it must be nerves. But it got worse. The family doctor did a few checks, saw that Oskar could no longer keep his balance, and called for further examination.’ After an MRI scan, they received the diagnosis that changed everything: Oskar has a brain tumor.

Right after the diagnosis

‘Our world collapsed,’ Jarek says. ‘We had to act quickly because the tumor needed to be removed as soon as possible. We drove to the Princess Máxima Center at high speed, where the surgeon was already waiting for us. Fortunately, during the surgery, 99% of the tumor was removed. This gave us hope, but we also knew that a long treatment process would follow.’ Oskar received chemotherapy and radiation. It was a difficult year, and because of infections the family had to be at the Máxima Center often. Despite these setbacks, Oskar stayed strong and positive. Jarek says: ‘Whenever he felt a little better, he wanted to go back to school as soon as possible. Oskar missed his friends and just wanted to be a kid.’

Things went well for a while

In September 2023, after months of treatment, the moment Oskar and his family had been waiting for finally arrived: he rang the bell to mark the end of treatment. Marta says: ‘That was a moment of pure joy. We could start our normal life again.’ Unfortunately, this did not last long. Eight months later, Oskar received difficult news. A check-up showed that the tumor had returned in several places in his brain. Marta says: ‘Once again, our world fell apart.’

Taking life day by day

How is Oskar doing now? Oskar and his parents remain hopeful and positive. He recently started a new treatment protocol and is responding well. Jarek says: ‘We enjoy the small moments. Oskar loves blowing bubbles and riding his bike in the Máxima Center, or he bakes muffins and hands them out to the children in the center.’ Because of his port-a-cath Oskar cannot do judo at the moment. But that is not a problem, because he has become a fan of a new sport: fencing. It is typical of Oskar. Despite everything he is going through, he continues to look at what is still possible.

‘Oskar wants to do something for other children, because he knows from experience that the treatment process can be difficult,’ Marta explains. ‘That is why he is now a volunteer with a foundation that raises money for children with cancer in Poland. We are very proud of him.’

A source of strength

Oskar is a great inspiration for his parents, a source of strength. Jarek says: ‘I was watching a documentary with Oskar, about a man in the United States who had lost everything because of a hurricane. The man said: I cannot do anything else but keep going and not give up. Oskar responded: ‘That is what I do too, Dad. At the Princess Máxima Center you never give up.’

In March 2025 Oskar passed away due to the effects of childhood cancer.