The struggle of a lifetime

She smiles so sincerely that she could not even believe: the life of this girl is not filled with childish mischief, but with pain and suffering. And the reason for this – cerebral palsy. Pens and legs of Yaroslava Kushnirenko are prone to illness. In her seven years, she can neither walk nor speak, even sit only with her mother's support. But still fighting every day for the time to finally master his body.

She smiles so sincerely that she could not even believe: the life of this girl is not filled with childish mischief, but with pain and suffering. And the reason for this – cerebral palsy. Pens and legs of Yaroslava Kushnirenko are prone to illness. In her seven years, she can neither walk nor speak, even sit only with her mother's support. But still fighting every day for the time to finally master his body.

Premature and rapid childbirth, the world of Yaroslava appears too early, only at 28 weeks of pregnancy. The crumbly weight of 1400 grams immediately goes to resuscitation: it does not breathe on its own, it does not eat, catheters and tubes leave from its body, and a small life is supported by numerous devices. Doctors restrained in the predictions – she is premature and that means: expect any complications.

Yaroslava is fortifying: gaining weight, learning to drink milk, and for three months they are finally released to mother with Natalya. But doctors warn: the crumb threatens cerebral palsy. In order to avoid this, they advise therapeutic exercises, massages, prescribe medications. With the hope of avoiding the disease every day, Yaroslava drinks bitter medicines, and mom exhausts her procedures, develops pens and legs. However, for a year it turns out: everything is overwhelming, the terrible diagnosis is still catching up.

Each movement of her daughter is given by means of titanic efforts; she is more and more lagging behind in development. For constant rehab, you need to have crazy money, and the only support, the husband, once seems: he throws a sick daughter and refuses to help her. Natal's mother cannot even get a job, because she does not have to leave her with Yaroslavl. So she adds a little bit of strength. She begins to make progress: reacts to cartoons and musical toys, lying on the back actively waving handles and legs, even she turns to the side. Increasingly, the girl reveals once palpated spasticity, her muscles relax, leveled back. In orthopedic shoes, she can stand for resistance, stand for as long as four minutes. And recently Yaroslavka said "Yes" - the first little word.

This obvious progress now needs to be consolidated, otherwise, the CP will simply not allow Yaroslavl to develop. For this, the child needs to receive a 20-day course of rehab, costing UAH 30,800, there is no such mother's money: family income is UAH 2,750 and all savings have long ended. So we are their only hope with you.

Name: Yaroslava Kushnirenko, 10.09.2011

City: Kiev

Diagnosis: cerebral palsy, double hemiplegia (V level for GMFCS, V level for MACS), F71, system hypoplasia of 1 speech level