To withSTAND a serious disease

Polina likes to do the same things as all 5-year old girls: play with dolls, dress up, sing, draw, and watch cartoons. But her body neither could stand nor sit. Rare genetic disease ruins her muscles step-by-step and the girl can do less movements herself.

But if can a person live only in the horizontal dimension? Special standing frames are designed for this kind of children: they safely fix the body and allow comfortable sitting and even "standing"! The whole world opens! However, the cost of just the cheapest standingframeisunsurmountableproblem for the family.

"When a child is born, we all dream how his/her life will unfold. Whether the daughter will dance or be a ballet star! How she will run towards you with her arms spread! Her first kindergarten leaving party… Polina was born a healthy girl, but when she was 7 months old, first alarm signs appear. The tot didn’t sit and rest on legs… Diagnosis of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) was like a verdict: this severe disease is not curable all over the world and makes rapid progress. The entire world was ruined at one stroke!"

Now Polina is sitting most of the time and for that she wears a special spinal assistant, but it is too rigid, is pressed in the bodyand all the same can’t fix her body reliably. She already has serious scoliosis, contractions in the joints. The problems are only rising and rising. Unfortunately, it will be only worse, because the body muscles will grow weaker and weaker…

Today the best solution is a standing frame. Due to the correct position of the body the scoliosis’progress will slow down, the joints will move easier and will relax, and what is the most important Polina will be able to stand. Though she will do it with the help of the equipment, but she will be happy! Please help us to extend the childhood for Polina!

Name: Polina Kosenkova, 23.03.2011

City: urban village Pisochyn, Kharkiv region

Diagnosis: spinal muscular amyotrophia (genetically confirmed)