Injured children of Donbas are provided with rehabilitation courses
According to UNICEF reports, 70 children were killed and 222 children got injuries of different severity due to the armed conflict in Donbas. However, experts believe that these data may be underestimated. In March 2015 Rinat Akhmetov Humanitarian Center launched a new project called "Rehabilitation of Injured Children", which was aimed at helping children with severe injuries – from shrapnel wounds and concussions to the loss of limbs. Over the entire project implementation period 70 boys and girls got help to recover their health and get back to normal life.
Seven-year-old Masha Dukhno is one of the victims of explosions. The tragedy happened on November 18, 2014 in Toshkivka, Luhansk region. An artillery shell hit the house when people were sleeping peacefully in it. The father of the family died on the spot. Yuliia Dukhno miraculously managed to save her one-year-old son, practically covering him with her body – she got a shrapnel wound. But the older daughter got the most severe injuries – when the ambulance was taking her to the hospital she stopped breathing and fell into a coma. Masha stayed unconscious for three weeks, and later she had several operations.
"They did shunting in her head, pumped out the liquid, – the girl's mom shares. – She was put special tubes, and now she will live with them".
The consequences of the injury will stay with the girl for life – she has her left arm paralyzed. As part of "Rehabilitation of Injured Children" project of the Rinat Akhmetov Humanitarian Center Masha visits sanatoriums for the second year in a row. Doctors hope that she manages to cope with the consequences of the trauma.
"The girl had a severe head injury and cerebral contusion. Left-sided hemiparesis belongs to the category of severe injuries, - Volodymyr Tarelkin, deputy head physician at "Sloviansk Resort" rehabilitation centre, says. – Thanks to the young organism, we hope to restore all the impaired functions, including the functions of central nervous system. Next year Masha will have to undergo a full course in order to restore her health completely".
The girl's mother says that the child doesn't remember the tragedy. "We try not to talk about it. She simply forgot everything, it was erased from her memory. And she cannot really remember what happened to her, – Yuliia shares. – We are so thankful for the support of the Humanitarian Center and people, who help us with rehabilitation – it is very important for us. If nothing was done, the child would not cope on her own.
"Rinat Akhmetov Humanitarian Center is constantly helping injured children of Donbas. We follow the unfolding events, and when a tragedy occurs, we try to provide timely assistance. For this matter, we cooperate with highly qualified medical institutions, we organize courses of rehabilitation treatment for children in specialized sanatoria in Ukraine, and also help to get the necessary technical and individual rehabilitation equipment", – Ihor Khadzhynov, the Head of "Targeted Assistance" program, noted.
