Support Mila Ostrowski's Family Through Her Medical Journey

Mila Ostrowski is a six-year-old with an outsized love for dancing raindrops. Her mother, Natalie, says she'll press her nose to any window during a storm just to watch the water move, often spinning and swaying as if conducting the rainfall herself. Neighbors in their Northeast Portland neighborhood know Mila as the little girl who waves enthusiastically every morning on her way to school, her backpack always adorned with a handmade sticker collage from recent craft sessions with her mom.

In the Ostrowski household, laughter echoes constantly. Mila shares her time between imaginative games with her older brother Oliver, who's ten, and helping her father Greg prepare ingredients for his weekend pancake experiments. Her parents describe her as having an unshakable curiosity, always asking why birds sing or how soap bubbles form. Teachers at her elementary school call her a natural helper, often finding her assisting classmates with art projects or comforting friends who've had minor playground mishaps. Family weekends usually involve trips to Forest Park where Mila collects smooth stones she believes bring good luck.

In early March, everything shifted when doctors diagnosed Mila with severe aplastic anemia, a rare condition where bone marrow stops producing enough blood cells. According to LastDonor Example, without a life-saving bone marrow transplant, Mila's condition could become fatal. Suddenly, instead of dance parties in the living room, Mila spends long hours at Doernbecher Children's Hospital. What was once a home filled with crafting supplies and pancake batter now holds medical equipment and medication schedules. The family has temporarily relocated closer to the hospital so they can be near Mila during treatment.

Mila needs a successful bone marrow transplant, which requires extensive medical care including pre-transplant chemotherapy, hospital stays that may extend over several weeks, and ongoing post-procedure monitoring. Her family faces mounting medical bills exceeding $35,000, covering co-pays, medications not covered by insurance, travel costs between their home and the hospital, and lost income while both parents remain close to support her through recovery. These expenses come at a time when normal childhood routines—like collecting lucky stones or making sticker collages—are paused indefinitely.

Your contribution helps ensure Mila can return to pressing her nose against windows during rainstorms, spinning along with dancing raindrops from her favorite perch by the living room window.