Meet Kyril and Olga: “When Kyril was born, the doctors took him away from me. Nobody would tell me anything, and I was in a panic. I was all by myself -- I am an orphan, I have no family. Finally, they came and told me that Kyrill has some sort of genetic disease. He is missing half a chromosome.” Nine year old Kyrill lives with his mother, Olga, in a dark and sparsely furnished space in Gomel, Belarus. They are part of Chernobyl Children International’s Community Care program. The program gives families of seriously ill children the support they need to care for their children at home, rather than place them in an institution. “I didn’t understand and asked to see my child. They told me that I should go home now -- without Kyrill. They said he belonged in an institution. But I refused! You see, I myself lived in an orphanage from the age of three months. I know what it is like to be abandoned. I know what it is like to have no one to care for you. I could never do that to my own child.” “Kyrill’s father left when Kyrill was 8 months old. You know, it’s hard -- we have no visitors. I have no family, and all of my friends from university have forgotten me.” “Kyrill needs round the clock care. He can’t walk or talk, or even respond to me very much. Without the visiting nurse provided by CCI, I would not be able to keep Kyrill at home.” “People tell me he’s just ‘a vegetable’ -- but I don’t agree! I’ve seen the difference with my own eyes the therapy makes. I am not expecting miracles. I know we need to work hard, we need to do the exercises. The most important thing is to take it step by step, and live moment by moment. It’s difficult for him, but when I see how hard he works, it gives me strength. I don’t know what the future holds. But I know that he knows that I am his mother, and that I love him and will never abandon him.” (Photos by Alex Kladoff). Please support families like Kyrill and Olga with your donation at chernobyl-international/
Posted on: Wed, 14 Jan 2015 10:48:00 +0000