We “open doors” for kids with Down syndrome.

Many people turn away from such a child. They avoid him/her. They pity him/her and hide him/her. This is because this child has Down syndrome. And all the doors are shut for these children. Is it fair? After all they live, advance, play, make friends and fall in love. But they need special conditions for this. And this is our, adults’ aim to create these conditions. Let us all improve the life of the kids with Down syndrome. There are no alien children. They are all ours.

A lot of time I work and in fact spend most of my life with children with special needs. The majority of them are kinds with Down syndrome. Even 10 years ago the doors of many institutions were shut for them. Their parents were in despair. Having returned from a maternity hospital with such a child, parents felt panic and uncertain. What to do? To whom to apply for help? Watching it, we started our work and our aim was to “open doors” for children with Down syndrome.

Here are our results. Year 2005: Centre of early help was opened for children with developmental delay, speech disorders, Down syndrome and autism. Year 2007: we initiated inclusive groups in kindergartens No.662 and 291. Children with Down syndrome and children without special needs play and learn together in one group. Year 2009: Centre of canine therapy was opened. Canine therapy is a healing communication between a dog and a child. Year 2013: our aim, our new project is opening of the first in Ukraine psychological sanatorium for children.

This is a place, where we are going to combine harmonically modern developmental, correctional and psychological theories. This is a place, where families with children with special needs can find psychological guiding, help and friendship. And we want to welcome such families from all over Ukraine, not only from Kyiv. Believe us this is really important for such children. We are happy that we have found such a place: authentic forest, meadows, lakes and premises of a former school that have been vacant for the last 20 years. And it is possible to purchase it and return again to children.

We need to raise 150,000 UAH. This is quite a good price for a building of 700 square meters. We have already found constructors, overhaul sponsors, psychologists and even dogs-therapists. There is only one necessity to raise money and purchase a building. Dear friends, let us all together raise 150,000 UAH for a kind gesture. We believe that there are lots of us, people, who can share a part of our family budget with children!

Yours sincerely, Valeriya Kuksa, children’s psychologist.