CP, War and Mother’s Love: Serhii’s Story. 2

Serhiy dreams of becoming a pastry chef. He attends a vocational high school, sincerely respects his mentors, and chivalrously offers to carry bags or hold doors open. He’s the kind of guy who would give the last thing he has, because that's how his mother raised him. But in the world of teenagers, kindness and a “unique” gait often become targets for ridicule.

While the other boys arrive on scooters, Serhiy walks with his knees bent, followed by the laughter and taunts of his peers. This hurts more than muscle spasms.

Serhiy’s story is one of survival in two worlds at once.

The first world is the devastated Krasnohorivka, from which he and his mother fled, leaving everything behind: their home, the wall bars, the bicycle. Now the two of them are in a strange city, living in a rented, with IDP status and minimal support.

The second world is a daily struggle with his own body. Cerebral palsy doesn’t disappear with age; during growth, it becomes even more insidious. Without rehabilitation, his knees bend more severely, his muscles stiffen, and the hope that he’ll be able to work and live independently fades away. 

«I won’t be here forever», says Serhiy’s mother through tears. “They’ve assigned him a disability category, saying he’ll be able to work. But when I see how much pain he’s in, I realize that without professional help, he simply won’t be able to stand at the stove.” 

For Serhiy, a trip to rehabilitation is a chance to escape an environment where he is mocked and find himself in a place where people believe in him. Where every step is an achievement, not a reason for bullying and ridicule.

We need to raise funds for a course of intensive rehabilitation treatment. This is a chance for the future chef to stand on his own two feet. It’s an opportunity for this teenager to believe that there are more good people in the world than those who laugh behind his back.

Help Serhiy stay strong. Your support will give him a path to a career, self-confidence, and a life where his diagnosis won’t determine his future. 
UPD: the text of the project have been updated.