Six-year-old Zhenya (Eugenia) Moiseeva from Kaliningrad has cerebral palsy. She can’t walk, but thanks to the efforts of her parents, her physicians and Zhenya herself, her condition has been steadily improving. However, walking without support is still impossible for her. For active life, she needed a new wheelchair. A suitable chair was found in Poland, and cost 7056 Polish zlotys (about 70,560 roubles, or a little less than $2400).

In July 2013, we purchased a wheelchair for Zhenya. Zhenya and her Mom spent the rest of the summer in Poland, where Zhenya was undergoing physical therapy. She has fully mastered her new wheelchair. Here’s what her Mom Marina wrote: “I would like to express my gratitude to the Help Journal for your help. It is very important for Zhenya to be able to get around on her own, even if it is still in a wheelchair. Now Zhenya is very mobile. When her legs get tired, she can still move around in a wheelchair, and can even “run around” outside with her friends. Thank you!”

Natasha Nekrasova from Novokuznetsk, Russia is 12 years old. For her recent Birthday, she didn't ask for a new toy or a pretty dress. Instead, this little girl asked for a new specialized stroller. You see, Natasha has cerebral palsy, and her Mom takes her out and to school in a stroller. The old, child stroller one they have is falling apart and doesn't fit Natasha any more. She now need a special one, designed for older children and young adults with cerebral palsy. The cost is about $2500, which Natasha and her Mom cannot afford. Natasha is raised by a single Mom, as her Dad passed away when she was little. With your help, we purchased the stroller for Natasha. On March 11, 2013 it was delivered to the family's home. Thank you!

Veronika Sorokina suffers from cerebral palsy. She needed a gait trainer for rehabilitation. We purchased a gait trainer for Veronika in the United States. Here is what Veronika's Mom wrote: "We are overjoyed! The gait trainer is large and very sturdy. The size is perfect for Veronika, and it should last her a long time. It works great and is very simple to use. Yesterday Veronika was just standing in it, and today she was able to move in it a little. Slowly but surely! Dear Anna, we would like to send our heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped Veronika and gave her the happiness of being able to stand and see the world just like everyone else does!"We hope that the gait trainer will help with Veronika's rehabilitation and would like to thank everyone who took part in fundraising for Veronika.

Twins Angelina and Kristina Fedorov from Kaliningrad region of Russia suffer from cerebral palsy, and since their early childhood their parents have dedicated their lives to providing necessary treatment and rehabilitation to their daughters. Despite financial hardship, they took the girls to various clinics in Kaliningrad and Moscow. When Angelina and Kristina started kindergarden, their Mom went to school with them: after all, schools in Russia are not equipped for disabled students, and she had to carry the girls from class to class in her arms. The first trip to a specialized cerebral palsy rehabilitation clinic in Ukraine gave this family hope: the girls’ condition improved, and it became clear that with continued treatment they might be able to walk on their own. Unfortunately, each course of treatment costs 5.000 Euros for both sisters, and at least a few courses were necessary to make a difference in Angelina’s and Kristina’s prognoses. We are very grateful to our donors who helped us raise enough funds to pay for two trips to the specialized clinic for both girls. As the result, both girls are now able to walk with the walkers and even while holding someone’s hand. We are very happy for them, and will update you on their progress.

A six-year-old Sasha Stashenko from Zvezdny, a small town in Volgograd region of Russia, needed a wheelchair. After a severe bout of viral meningoencephalitis at the age of two, Sasha became nearly blind and suffered multiple other serious complications including epilepsy, spastic cerebral palsy and severe developmental delay. Sasha’s Mom asked us for help in purchasing a specialized wheelchair for her daughter that will make it much easier for her not only to take her daughter to Moscow for assessment and treatment, but also will make is easier for the family to get around on a daily basis. The Help Journal raised $1300 necessary to purchase a suitable wheelchair. We thank all of our donors for their help!

Fifteen year old Grisha Yakunin is very talented: he enjoys programming, computer design, and can even make very realistic clay models of weapons and spacecraft. Unfortunately, Grisha is not able to attend school due to his medical condition – a severe form of cystic fibrosis that affects his lungs as well as digestive system. In the last two years, Grisha’s condition has been deteriorating, and he has been hospitalized numerous times. Chronic lung infection have lead to a respiratory insufficiency, and now he needs oxygen therapy at least 16 hours a day. A stationary oxygen concentrator that his family was able to purchase on their own doesn’t allow him to leave his apartment. Grisha wasn’t able to see his friends, go to the movies or bowling. Thanks to the generous support of our donors, the Help Journal was able to purchase a portable oxygen concentrator Respironics EverGo by Phillips , and our volunteer Svetlana Kolesnik delivered it to Grisha in mid-June. Now Grisha not only will be able to enjoy the outdoors, but he will also go on summer vacation with his Mom and Dad this summer.

We have first learned about Serezha Sukhodubov from Makeevka (Donetsk region, Ukraine) in 2010, when his Mom asked us for help with purchasing a new nebulizer and a pulse oximeter a two-year-old toddler needed urgently to help manage his cystic fibrosis. With your help, we were able to provide Serezha with the medical equipment he needed, and we have been following Serezha and helping his Mom Oksana provide this happy and inquisitive little boy with treatment he needs to stay healthy ever since.

As there are no specialized cystic fibrosis clinics in Ukraine, Serezha needs to travel to a clinic at Department of Pulmonology of Moscow Institute of Pediatrics every six months. There, the doctors run necessary tests, treat infections and develop a treatment plan that Serezha's pediatricians in his home city follow for the next six months. He is not a Russian citizen, and his family needs to cover the cost of each hospitalization that runs between $2000 and $3000 depending on particular diagnostic and treatment procedures that his doctors prescribe. Serezha is being raised by a single Mom. Despite help from her family and the family of Serezha’s Dad, their financial situation is dire, and they cannot afford the cost of Serezha's hospitalizations in Russia and his medications.

In the fall of 2010 and spring of 2011, the Help Journal raised money to pay for Serezha’s trip to Moscow for treatment. We have also helped cover the cost of the medications and supplied Serezha with specialized nutritional supplement Scandishake and vitamins to keep this wonderful little boy healthy. With the continued help and support of our donors and volunteers, we plan to continue helping Serezha in the future.

Five-year-old Katya from Lipetsk, Russia suffers from cerebral palsy and epilepsy, and is unable to sit or stand unaided. Katya’s Mom Maria raises her two children on her own, with minimal financial help from the children’s father. She couldn’t afford the cost of specialized equipment that was needed to provide proper care and occupational therapy for her little daughter. With the help of many of our supporters, the Help Journal was able to purchase a child wheelchair, a standing frame and a bathing appliance for Katya.

In 2005, Alesha Zakharov was an aspiring programmer, interested in information technology and getting ready to graduate from high school. His dreams were put on hold when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. After his eighth chemotherapy round, his doctor prescribed neupogen to help him recover from side effects of chemo in preparation for autologous bone marrow transplantation. Unfortunately, his family needed to pay for this expensive medication out of pocket. By that time, his family's finances were exhausted. Alesha has long sold his computer to pay for his treatment. His mom had to quit her job to care for him. Help Journal stepped in and raised enough money for Alesha's medications. One of the bloggers donated his laptop to the boy so that he could resume programming. After successful transplantation and chemotherapy, Alesha was released from the hospital. He is in remission today and doing well. In the summer of 2007, he got his driver's license!

19-year old college student Olya Metelkova lived at an orphanage in Rybinsk (Yaroslavl region, Central Russia) until her 18th birthday. Due to a degenerative eye disease, Olya was rapidly losing her vision. She feared she would not be able to continue her studies and live independently if her vision got any worse. She needed money for eye surgery. Once the information about the girl was posted in our blog, two donors agreed to pay for the girl's treatment. Olya'’s surgery on June 20, 2005 was a success. She regained her sight and was able to continue her studies.

Varya Tevkina has cerebral palsy. Her family moved from Moldova to Moscow, Russia, so that Varya would have access to specialized treatment and rehabilitation programs. Since the beginning of physical therapy, Varya had made a lot of progress. In 2006, her parents contacted Help Journal volunteers asking for help in purchasing a wheelchair for their daughter. Varya needed a light motorized wheelchair that she could learn to control herself with one hand. As a result, $1,181 was raised for a new wheelchair, and now Varya is able to move around by herself.

Sergey Zhavoronkov, a 16-year-old from Kuznetsk (Penza Region, Russia), suddenly lost vision in one of his eyes. He was diagnosed with an intraocular tumor, which was then surgically removed. However, Sergey’s problems were not over: one day several months later he woke up completely paralyzed. Doctors in Penza suspected a brain tumor but MRI was needed to get accurate diagnosis. Volunteers from Help Journal and from volunteer group “Donors-for-Kids” helped arrange Sergey’s transfer to Burdenko Institute of Neurosurgery in Moscow. While Sergey’s surgery and in-patient treatment were free of charge, all diagnostic imaging had to be paid for out-of-pocket. Help Journal raised $560, which covered the costs of MRI imaging. Surgeons in Moscow removed the tumor, which turned out to be benign. Sergey recovered fully and is now back at home.

Alesha Korenev was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis in 1982 at the age of two months. In 2009, the Alesha's health declined greatly. He suffered from shortness of breath and needed a special ventilator VENTImotion to help him breaze. Help Journal helped raise 6250 Euros necessary to purchase a ventilator for Alesha. We were also able to help Alesha's family pay for the necessary medications. We thank all of you who helped Alesha!