With hope for a word: help Nikita find his voice

Nikita Didenko is a 10-year-old boy from Kramatorsk who now lives in Kharkiv with his family as an internally displaced person. Since early childhood, he has been facing serious developmental challenges. Nikita has been diagnosed with central nervous system damage and a metabolic disorder, which has resulted in a psycho-speech delay and hyper-excitability syndrome with attention deficit.

The first alarming signs appeared when Nikita was two years old – he didn’t speak and didn’t respond when called. When his mother first took him to kindergarten, the director, observing the boy, quietly jingled a bunch of keys near  his ear – but Nikita didn’t turn around. That moment marked the beginning of a long journey to discover the cause and start treatment.

Examinations showed that his hearing was normal, but he didn’t perceive sounds as meaningful signals from the world around him. Since then, Nikita has been undergoing continuous therapy and rehabilitation.

The greatest progress he has made comes from ABA therapy, which helps develop speech, attention, and social skills. However, this therapy is costly and requires ongoing sessions.

Nikita’s family rents an apartment and both parents work, but they cannot cover all treatment expenses on their own. Their relatives, who used to help, are now struggling themselves due to the war.

Despite all challenges, Nikita remains an active and cheerful boy. He loves swimming, rollerblading, music, and sports. His dream is to speak clearly, communicate freely with other children, and live an independent life.

We kindly ask for your support in Nikita’s fight for a better future. Every contribution brings him one step closer to success!