On June 18 and 19, 2008, a visiting team of specialists from the Russian Children's Clinical Hospital arrived at Shuya, a town in the Ivanovo region (Central Russia), within the You Are Not Alone program. Physicians from Moscow (neurologists S.V. Mikhailova and A.S. Kozlovskii, pediatrician A.N. Arkhipova, gynecologist T.G. Dyadik, otolaryngologist E.O. Vyazmenov, urologist G.V. Kozyrev, dermatologist O.N. Andrienko, orthopedist I.V. Trubin) consulted 144 disabled children living in a specialized orphanage. 97 of these children have been abandoned by their parents. A total of 385 consultations were provided. Nine children were directed to the Russian Children's Clinical Hospital, and all others received detailed recommendations concerning their further out-patient treatment and rehabilitation.
The administration of the orphanage did everything to make the visit of our specialists as fruitful as possible: medical documents were prepared in advance for each child and members of the orphanage staff provided information about the children.
We were impressed by this institution. In spite of all financial and organizational problems, the administration of the orphanage tries to provide better conditions for the gravely ill children. The interior of the building is well adapted to the needs of disabled children, among whom many have motor limitations. This institution is filled with warmth and kindness to these children. We want to express out deep respect to the staff for these efforts.
On June 19, after all examinations and consultations were over, officials from the Ivanovo Regional Department of Social Services and director of orphanage Elena G. Koroleva thanked the administration of the Russian Children's Clinical Hospital for this possibility to examine the gravely ill children from this orphanage.
Elena Koroleva (see photo on the right) says, "It is hard to overestimate your help. We have 155 children at our orphanage, many of them with cerebral palsy. 25 of them are bed-ridden. These children need rehabilition most of all, but their transportation even to the nearest clinic is a real problem. Besides, the diagnoses of some children required correction by specialists. Moreover, the tactics of treating the most gravely ill children had to be adjusted. Since our orphanage receives insufficient financing in many respects (presently we get no more than 30-35%), your help is invaluable for us."
The first two children from the Shuya orphanage were admitted to the Russian Children's Clinical Hospital for examination and treatment on June 23.