Insidious scoliosis threatens girl's life

Sixteen-year-old Valeriia needs urgent spinal surgery – without it, the girl could die. The surgery will allow her to straighten her spine, eliminate pain and critical compression of internal organs. To do this, she needs to purchase a set of Socore implants.

Lera is a cheerful and kind girl. She lives in Vilnohirsk, study in the 8th grade, and teachers come to her house. Valeriia loves to draw, try on dresses, loves having her hair and manicure done. She enjoys walking outside and loves playing with her three-year-old sister Veronika!

Lera has cerebral palsy, spastic tetraparesis, and microcephaly – the consequences of the umbilical cord being wrapped around her neck twice and oxygen starvation. Immediately after birth, she suffered a bilateral cerebral hemorrhage, spent several weeks in intensive care, and 6 days on a ventilator.

Since then, the parents have been fighting for their daughter's health: physiotherapy, massages, hippotherapy, a Chenault corset. And in the first years of the child's life, the mother traveled with her to almost all specialized centers in Ukraine.

When Lera began the age of active growth, weak muscles could no longer hold the bones in the correct position. Now Lera has severe S-shaped scoliosis of the thoracolumbar region. The spine is curved so much that the ribs on the right side rest against the pelvis, squeezing the lung, kidney and intestine. The girl does not sleep at night due to constant pain.

Recently, an orthopedist reported that without urgent surgical intervention, paralysis and failure of internal organs may occur. The operation is scheduled for September at "Okhmatdyt". It will be complex and time-consuming.

Valeriia and her family dream that she will be able to sit and walk with support again, so that the pain will go away. Friends, let's support Lera together so that she can live and breathe without pain!