From regression to hope: Viktoriia’s story

During the first year of her life, Viktoriia was no different from other children. She developed according to her age, began saying her first short words, and actively responded to her loved ones. However, after suffering from a viral illness, everything changed abruptly. The girl was hospitalized several times and received intravenous treatment, and after yet another hospital stay, her parents noticed alarming changes.

Viktoriia stopped making eye contact, no longer responded to her name, and lost her speech. It felt as if the child had suddenly become someone else. From that moment on, the family began a long and exhausting journey – searching for a diagnosis, undergoing treatment and therapy, and facing cycles of hope and disappointment.

Doctors diagnosed her with cognitive epileptiform disintegration, autistic epileptiform regression, and delayed psycho-speech development.

Despite all the challenges, Viktoriia and her family do not give up. Today, she attends Gymnasium №11 in Dnipro, supported by a teacher’s assistant. She regularly works with a speech therapist and a psychologist at school, and these sessions are already bringing small but meaningful progress.

In addition to neurological disorders, Viktoriia has valgus foot deformity and spinal curvature. Because of this, she must constantly wear orthopedic footwear and requires regular courses of therapeutic massage and rehabilitation.

To improve and maintain the results already achieved through rehabilitation, Viktoriia needs consistent sessions at a specialized rehabilitation center. There, professionals work on her speech development, physical condition, and social adaptation. Unfortunately, the cost of such therapy is beyond the family’s financial means.

Every contribution is a chance for Viktoriia to take another step forward, strengthen the skills she has gained, and continue her path of development.