Stories from Ukraine

This is Bohdanchyk, who just returned from Odessa where he had surgery on his one functioning eye.  The bandages have been removed and the surgery was successful.  Now the focus is on the rehabilitation efforts of his cerebral palsy, working on his paralyzed arm and leg as well as learning how to speak. 

 

This is a family from a small village of Zinkivtsi in the Khmelnychyna region.  There are 5 children in this family who are loving, caring and supportive of each other.  Sashko who is 7 years old has been fighting cerebral palsy and is proving that he is a strong young man.  Mom told a story, that due to the oversight in doctor’s orders, a couple years ago, while Sashko was in the hospital they removed a totally healthy and functioning kidney.  They didn’t provide an explanation, and didn’t want to give the paperwork to the family about the removal of the kidney.  Today, Sashko’s only kidney is getting sick, he has infections, heightened fever which can be very harmful because it can trigger his epilepsy.  Doctors told the mom they don’t know what to do with the child and sent him sick home.  He is now in constant need of medication that are expensive and the family can’t afford to purchase.  The other children are Julia who is not even 2 yet, Oleh who is 5, Anya who is 12 and Lilya who is 14.

This is Nazarchyk, who has cerebral palsy.  He has been going through a tremendous amount of rehabilitation and has such a strong will to get up and keep walking and playing by himself.  He just got back from Odessa where they were going through intensive rehabilitation and outfitting him with braces to help walk.  They are constantly trying to raise funds to send Nazar for more treatment and mom can’t do it all on her own.  This child has so much will and strength to work hard and keep progressing and advancing with his efforts.

 

 

 

This is Bohdanchyk from Vashkivtsi.  While his mom is working he lies in bed and has memorized all of the cracks and lines on the ceiling of his house.  He really misses being outside and although thanks to a group “All will be alright” he has a beautiful wheelchair, he cannot go outside because nobody is there to spend a bit of time with him, outside of his mother who is working hard to take care of her son.

 

This is a story of a single father, Ilya who is raising two kids on his own, while working and taking care of the finances of the family.  A year ago his youngest child passed away and wife left him with the other two kids.  He has been a tremendous dad taking care of these two kids.  His daughter went into first grade and son into kindergarten.  They now have a cow, a pig and a goat to help provide for the family.