Enzo, the hero

Not only is Enzo Horváth’s name special, but his whole life is too. Yes, this three-year-old Roma boy living in Hungary was named after the legendary Enzo Ferrari, and nomen est omen: Enzo’s life, though completely different, is just as extraordinary and exceptional as that of the founder of the world-famous car brand. Enzo Horváth is also a racer, and a feisty one at that. This young racer and his support team – his family, friends and Christian congregation – are on a path that is difficult for an ordinary person to comprehend or follow.

If you hear about Enzo’s life story and current situation without seeing the faces of the little boy and his family, it might seem like a nightmare. That is why we ask you first to look at the photos, to see the expressions in their eyes, because however difficult the fate that has befallen Enzo and his family may be, this story is not about darkness or hopelessness, but about struggle, hope, faith and love – without which Enzo would undoubtedly have already been knocked off this race track; armed with these, however, he is still in the race, still fighting. This is where we need you now!

A cracked reed does not break

Enzo was six months old when, following a fever, he was diagnosed with a condition known as a Yolk Sac Tumour, commonly referred to as testicular cancer. For the past 2.5 years – more than 80% of his life – Enzo has been fighting for his life, following the path set out by the standard treatment protocol. He has undergone six operations, two transplants, twenty-eight sessions of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, but the tumour has returned time and again, forming metastases. Most doctors had given up on Enzo’s life, but the family learnt of a revolutionary new form of treatment that offers a real chance—one orders of magnitude greater than before—for Enzo to get back in the race and win his life back. As the family say: Enzo has received his healing from God; now he ‘just’ has to accept it from the Lord’s hand.  

Immunotherapy

Little Enzo has been accepted into a clinical programme in Germany, where he is being treated with so-called “dendritic cell therapy”. Dendritic cell therapy, which is still relatively unknown in Hungary, is being used increasingly frequently in numerous research and therapeutic institutions worldwide. More than 7,000 scientific articles have been published on the subject, and this form of treatment has already been approved in the USA, among other places. Unlike other therapies, such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy, which use substances foreign to the body or harmful radiation to fight the tumour, this treatment utilises the body’s own immune system to combat cancer through dendritic cells.

What is the plan?

The treatment procedure itself is child’s play for Enzo, as it requires ‘just’ a blood sample at the clinic in Germany, from which the vaccine is prepared that will then be injected into the young competitor’s body. As this procedure is not available in Hungary and is not supported by the NEAK, the family, who have already sold off many of their possessions to cover the treatment costs, have now started a fundraising campaign.

The costs

The first immunotherapy treatment costs €18,000, the second €14,000, and on top of this there are ongoing travel and accommodation costs, so we are raising a total of €40,000 for Enzo. This is a huge sum for the family, yet it gives us hope that several similar successful fundraising campaigns and treatments have been realised recently, for example through the collaboration of this website. Of course, as is customary in this field, time is of the essence, as the immunotherapy treatment needs to take place before another massive tumour develops in Enzo. Every minute counts, so we won’t take up any more of your time.

We ask that you too support little Enzo’s incredible fight! Let’s create hope together for the little boy and the family and community who love and care for him!

If a bank transfer is the most convenient option for you, we also welcome donations via these channels:

For domestic (Hungary) transfers:

János Horváth 11775506-28136886

For international transfers:

HU80117755062813688600000000

OTPVHUHB

When making a transfer, please write the following in the reference field: Donation for the recovery of Enzo Horváth

Thank you!