Now summer has come, it is time for holidays, rest and relaxation, time for yourself and your family. Take a good care of yourself. It is very important for us that everyone who helps is able to carry on with it! Moreover, as we all see, the evil does not rest: the explosion of the dam on the Russian-occupied territory of Ukraine is a confirmation of this. But there are also more manifestations of kindness and humanity coming around! And this gives hope.
Dear friends, thank you for your support. Last month, with your aid, we have helped to pay for the treatment of Svetlana M., Ukraine, oncology. We continue to support those who need it.

In June, our help is awaited by:

Alexandr Alekseev, 2 y. o., St. Petersburg, Russia. Diagnosis: cerebral palsy, spastic diplegia. A month after the birth of Sasha, his mother began to notice the stress in his legs. The child was given two courses of massage and therapeutic treatment. But the stress was still coming back. By the age of one year, the boy was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Alexandr is regularly working with a rehabilitation specialist and in the pool with a trainer, is attending hippotherapy, has completed 2 intensive rehabilitation courses, and does daily exercises. At home, everything is equipped for his exercises: a sensory hammock, a platform swing, walking ropes, a balance beam. Alexandr is a strong and determined boy. Despite this, the spasticity is growing and does not permit Alexandr to develop as fast as his peers. Each disease gives a strong rollback in development and everything has to be started all over again. Alexandr is an eager-to-learn and sociable boy with a good intellect. He already speaks in sentences and loves to play with his older brother. At the moment, he can crawl, sit without support for a short time, stand at the support and walk hand in hand on half-bent legs. Alexandr needs an operation to remove the spasticity in the muscles that fetters the child. Such operations are performed in St. Louis Children’s Clinic, USA. After this, Alexandr will be able to master walking on his own. We must hurry: as more time passes, the pathological stereotype of walking becomes more rooted, and the spine is bent. In addition to the operation, a 3-week rehabilitation course is provided by the clinic, as well as the individualized individual production of orthoses and the necessary walkers. The operation is scheduled for August, the payment must be completed by mid-July. An invoice issued by the clinic amounts to EUR 46,500. A part of the funds has been collected, but they need abut EUR 34,400 more.

Muhammad Kurbanov, 14 y.o., Dagestan, Russia. Diagnosis: cerebral palsy, spastic diplegia, scoliosis. In 2017, Muhammad underwent a very complex operation on the spine with the installation of magnetic implants that contribute to the proper growth and development of the skeleton. As the boy grew, the position of the implants was being corrected in Germany every 6 months. During the Covid-19 quarantine, the correction was carried out at intervals of 12 months. At the same time, the child’s body was actively growing. Now it is difficult for him to sit, and move even in a special wheelchair. Muhammad must lie down and take painkillers all the time. The doctor has found that the bolts on which the retractable magnetic rods were installed, were loosened, since the skeleton was actively growing and it was not possible to get to Germany at the appointed time. It is necessary to replace the implants as soon as possible. New implants will allow the spine to develop and grow properly, and the operation will help to straighten the spine, restore the skeleton and the body as a whole. This will enable Muhammad to move independently, and take care of himself. This will significantly improve the quality of life of the child and the whole family. The necessary operation at Altona Clinic (Hamburg, Germany) costs EUR 51,000. A significant part of the funds has been collected, yet EUR 3,050 are still lacking.

Grigory Dolgikh, 12 y.o., Minsk, Belarus. Diagnosis: cerebral palsy, spastic tetraparesis of the 3rd degree, convulsive syndrome. Grigory was born at the 30th week of pregnancy. During his life, the boy has endured much: several complex operations, a long-term treatment and the rehabilitations. Despite this, the boy is growing up as a courageous and a cheerful person. He is engaged in the adaptive physical education for children with disabilities, this includes classes in a pool, the trampoline room, the ski-roller track. Grigory can’t stand without support, he can’t walk, his left arm doesn’t work well, but he has a good potential, and his skills gradually improve from a rehabilitation to a rehabilitation. The courses must be taken regularly. The family asks for help in raising funds for rehabilitation in Olinek center, Poland. The cost of the course is EUR 4482.

Alexandr Akhremenko, 1 year 7 months old, Russia. Diagnosis: binocular bilateral retinoblastoma. Little Alexandr has retinal cancer of both eyes. There is one tumor in the right eye, and five in the left eye. He has already undergone 4 courses of chemotherapy in Moscow, but, unfortunately, the treatment did not bring much results. The parents turned to Jules-Gonin Ophthalmic Hospital, Switzerland, for help. Alexandr underwent a thermotherapy and a cryocoagulation. At the moment, there is a chance of maintaining vision in both eyes. But the road to the recovery is long, difficult and expensive. The family needs help. The bill for the treatment is EUR 66,580.

“Working with trauma. How to help the others and yourself quickly and efficiently.” We invite the psychologists and volunteers to this international training conference to be held in Montenegro on October 15-20, 2023. If you are working with people in crisis or are currently experiencing a crisis yourself, we highly recommend attending this meeting. For five conference days, you can not only relax in a hotel on the beautiful Mediterranean shores, but also get tools to help yourself and the others, as well as to improve your skills. More about the conference, the participation conditions and the registration forms can be found on our website www.orthodiakonia.de/conference-2023 As a part of the conference, we are also organizing a rehabilitation course for the refugee families with sick children.

 
HURRY TO DO GOOD!
I wish health to you all!
Take care of yourself and your loved ones!
I embrace you heartily,
Yours Alina Titova