Ivan is having a hard time, help. 2

Five-year-old Ivan has cerebral palsy, and this is his story. The little boy was born in January 2020, weighing only 980 grams and measuring 36 cm in length. In his first week of life, Ivan suffered a brain hemorrhage, which led to hydrocephalus. Doctors performed a complex operation and installed an Ommaya reservoir. The boy could not breathe or eat on his own – for three long months, he was intubated and fed through a tube.

In the fourth month of his life, the boy was transferred to OKHMATDYT, where he underwent two endoscopic surgeries on the ventricles of the brain, and later a third – with the installation of a shunt. It was only in July that the baby finally returned home. However, even after that, his path remained difficult: his development was delayed, and doctors diagnosed him with cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and deafness. Thanks to a cochlear implant, Ivan now has the opportunity to hear the world around him.

At the beginning of 2022, the boy's condition deteriorated sharply again – it turned out that the shunt was not working properly. Again, hospital, again OKHMATDYT, and three more operations in six months, after which he began to hold his head better and roll over onto his side.

“Ivan has problems with his motor skills; he cannot sit or crawl. Thanks to classes at rehabilitation centers, my son has a chance to walk. Now Ivan can roll over on his own, stand with support on his legs, and has become more mobile,” says the boy's mother.

Ivan now urgently needs rehabilitation sessions with specialists, but his mother cannot afford to pay for the treatment herself. Ivan has gone through incredible trials, and today he needs our support to continue on his path to a better life.