The Pole won a medal in Paris, and now he is fighting for his life. “I have already fulfilled one dream”

Michał Dąbrowski is a Polish wheelchair fencer who took part in the Paralympic Games in Paris. The Legia Warsaw athlete won the silver medal. In the final, the Pole competed with Yanke Feng. Our debutant at the Games even led 14:13, but the last two decisive actions were won by his rival.

Michał Dąbrowski won a Paralympic medal

This is a huge success for Michał Dąbrowski, who defeated another Pole – Adrian Castro – on his way to the final. Unfortunately, his compatriot was unable to defeat Jie Zhang in the competition for bronze, which ultimately gave him fourth place. The silver medal for the Legia Warsaw section athlete was the ninth medal for our country at the Paralympic Games.

After winning the silver medal, Michał Dąbrowski commented on the competition for the gold medal in a heated moment. – His gold from the previous games didn’t matter. I already had it… There was one last move. I knew what he would do and, damn, it didn’t work out. I didn’t manage to “catch” him at that key moment. Too bad… At the moment, I’m more emotional about this last failed move than about winning the silver – he told pap.pl.

Michał Dąbrowski is fighting cancer

Competing in the Paralympic Games was not the only struggle that Michał Dąbrowski fought on a daily basis. In November, the silver medalist was diagnosed with intrahepatic bile duct cancer.

– I would like to watch my children grow up. I would like to accompany my wife in their daily struggles. And I would really hate to leave them alone – writes the silver medalist on the Pomagam.pl website.

The first signs that something was wrong with his health were noticed by Michał in October 2023. During the world championships in Terni, Italy, the athlete felt worse. Despite this, he managed to stand on the podium twice. Unfortunately, a month later, the diagnosis came.

Michał Dąbrowski is undergoing chemotherapy. To increase the effectiveness of the treatment, immunotherapy can be used additionally. Unfortunately, the modern drug is not reimbursed, and a single infusion costs over PLN 11,000. Many such treatments are needed, and the entire therapy lasts up to two years, which is unattainable for the athlete and his family.

The treatment is very expensive

In addition to covering the costs of the drug itself, the man also needs funds for the use of modern cancer treatment techniques, such as embolization, thermoablation and nanoknife. The total minimum amount that the man needs for treatment is PLN 650,000.

– I fulfilled one dream: to win a Paralympic medal. The second is to see my children turn 18. I will fight! – Michał does not give up.

Anyone can help Michał Dąbrowski. A fundraiser has been set up on pomagam.pl with a goal of PLN 850,000. So far, donors have contributed over PLN 460,000.