31.12.2008 Some news about orphan patients of our hospital.
Most children were sent home for the holidays, and only nine of them stayed: Dasha S., Tanya S. (waiting for a donor kidney), Maxim Z., Veronika P. and Vladik Sh. (waiting for surgeries), Inna N. (recovering after the recent second operation at the Department of Microvascular Surgery), Valya O. (also after an operation, at the Department of Traumatology, Valya V. (had to stay at the hospital because of the risk of chicken-pox), and Masha K. (receives treatment according to protocol at the Department of Oncohematology). The children participated in New Year celebrations (those who could, of course) and received presents, just as those orphan patients who left the hospital for the holiday time.

26.12.2008 We want to thank our friends for New Year presents to the hospital children. In spite of the world economic crisis, we received such a lot of presents! We haven't seen anything like this in much more prosperous years!

We also want to thank volunteers who helped in packing the presents: students of the Higher School of Economics and young people from the Royal Bank of Scotland.

23.12.2008 We thank for ISG and GRUNDFOS companies, whose financial support has enabled us to provide patients of the Department of Kidney Transplantation with the necessary amounts of immunosuppressive drugs. We remove this request from the first page of our site.

We are also completing the fundraising for the benefit of Andrei Novoselov, Andrei Chipilev, Dasha Belous, Zamin Nabiev and Dasha Rezvyakova.

Remicade for Andrei Novoselov has been purchased. Many thanks to all who have responded and personally to Sergei Savchuk, who decided to help the boy once again and provided the remaining part of the sum (50,000 roubles, or $1725). Yesterday Andrei with his mother arrived at the hospital for the next course of treatment. Let us wish good luck to the boy!

For Zamin Nabiev, 2 packs of Exjade worth 172,287.92 roubles ($5940) have been bought. Andrei Chipilev and Dasha Belous will get this drug within a special Novartis program since January 2009.

Yulia has donated 1500 euro to pay for an orthopedic system to be manufactured for Dasha Rezvyakova. Many thanks for this help!

21.12.2008 Today we celebrate the tenth "birthday" of our Web site. It was the first charitable Internet project in Russia. Many thanks to Alexei Nalogin, who actually created this site on his own initiative and has been its administator ever since. We are sure that all children who have been saved within this project would also like to thank Alexei.

And we thank you, our dear readers and friends, for being together with us during all these years. No matter how difficult the situation at the hospital could be, no matter how urgently financial help was needed and how large the required sum was, no child has died during these years just because there was not enough money for his or her treatment.

Yes, some children died, and some still die. Medicine is not omnipotent. But it is important to know that the doctors have had the chance to do everything they can. And only you, our dear friends, have given them this chance.

Congratulations and best wishes!

14.12.2008Some news about orphan patients of our hospital.
Three children have been discharged: Andrei B. from the Department of Neurosurgery, Katya M-va from the Department of Nephrology and Angelina Z. from the Department of Traumatology and Orthopedics.

New children have been admitted: Olya S. (10 years old) for an examination at the Department of Gynecology, Vanya Ch. (2.5 years old) to the Department of Urology (the boy had an operation at once) and Vladik Sh. (he had an examination in summer) for an operation at the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery.

8.12.2008 In November 2008, the total amount of financial help received by the hospital through the Regional Public Charity Foundation for Seriously ill and Abandoned Children was 3,913,556.45 roubles ($139,770). The sum transferred from the account of the Foundation was 3,063,316.99 roubles ($109,404). Also, direct donations from private persons and organizations amounted to 850,239.46 roubles($30,366). Continued...

* * *

In the beginning of November 2008, Deputy Head Physician A.A. Bologov and Head of the Department of Clinical Immunology I.V. Kondratenko asked our Foundation for urgent help in purchase of Remicade worth 190,000 roubles ($6785). We whole-heartedly thank Roman Kovalenko, who paid for the entire amount of the drug ordered by the hospital department!

5.12.2008 Some news about orphan patients of our hospital.
After surgical interventions, two little patients of the Department of Neurosurgery have been discharged. Igor K. (he is more or less all right, an active and lively boy) and Ilya I. During the two months at the hospital, Ilya (who is now almost 5 months old) has not only grown up a great deal but also developed quite well: he laughs and plays a lot and moves his legs all the time, so that his nurse even has problems with dressing him. It is hard to believe that he has undergone such a serious surgery on his spine! He will arrive for a check-up in six months, and everybody hopes that all his health problems will be over by that moment.

Instead of these boys, two new children have been admitted to the Department of Neurosurgery: Masha L. (3.5 years old) and Andrei B. (8 months old). Both will be operated for meningocele.
After an operation at the Department of Otolaryngology, Kirill Sh. went to his native city, Magadan. We have bought him the amount of Interferon sufficient till the next admission to hospital (which is to take place 4 months later). Artem E. has quickly recovered and left the hospital after a successful operation at the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery.

The condition of Anna M. has stabilized. She is feeling more or less satisfactory. The girl is at the Department of Neurosurgery, and her favorite nurse Lyuba is taking care of her.

30.11.2008 On the Web site of our charitable foundation, you can now see a large gallery of the hospital patients' drawings. The art studio at the hospital church has been functioning for more than 15 years, and the children get a lot of joy from drawing under the guidance of volunteer artists and teachers.

20.11.2008 We have excellent news about Egor Plaksin. He has quickly recovered after a bone marrow transplant (which had taken place on October 21), and now he will receive out-patient care. The doctors are more than satisfied with his condition. Egor's mother whole-heartedly thanks all who have helped.

19.11.2008 Money has been raised to buy Exjade for brothers Roman and Artem Grigoryan. We thank the Finstroi company and Svetlana Gustas, who transferred 86,000 roubles ($3125) for the boys.

14.11.2008 Some news about orphan patients of our hospital.
Sasha K. and Andrei S. have been discharged. Both boys have had their plaster casts removed, and both have undergone rehabilitation courses.
Kirill Sh. has returned to the Department of Otolaryngology after an interferon therapy course at the place of residence. The child underwent surgery at once, and now interferon treatment will be continued.

Veronika P. has arrived for follow-up treatment. The girl will have a complex operation on her skull bones, and a skull model made of plastic has already been ordered for it. Our nurse takes care of the girl.

* * *

SOS!

In view of the grave situation due to interrupted budgetary supply of some medications to our hospital, Deputy Head Physician A.A. Bologov and Head of the Department of Clinical Immunology I.V. Kondratenko have asked our foundation for urgent help in purchase of Remicade worth a total of 190,000 roubles ($6885) for the next course of therapy to be administered to patients Dima Borisov (1 vial), Polina Trushina (1 vial), Nadya Paderina (1 vial), Islam Tkhagalegov (2 vials), and Alexei Sitikov (2 vials).

12.11.2008 Our foundation has been regularly helping the hospital Center for Microvascular Surgery, headed by Dr. Alexander V. Bystrov, for several years. Within our program for rehabilitation of patients with spinal cord injuries, the foundation helps patients of our hospital who need a Dospekhi (Armor) orthopedic system to be manufactured for them. During the work of this program, Dospekhi systems have been made for eight patients of the Russian Children's Clinical Hospital: Khairutdin Makhmagaziev, Mikail Matsagov, Eugene Eretnikov, Sasha Mogir, Sergei Stepanenkov, Islam Magomedov, Sasha Kapustin and Sasha Karmanov. These appliances cost a total of 650,000 roubles (about $25,000).

The second component of this program includes support of development of bioengineering methods consisting in autologous cell technologies. During recent years, these methods have been extensively used not only in treatment and rehabilitation of patients with lesions of the central nervous system but also for treatment of children damages of the peripheral nervous system, opening the prospects of partial or full restoration of leg or arm function and sensitivity. Therefore, we think it would be appropriate to launch a new program for support of cell technologies in microsurgery and traumatology on the basis of the Center for Microvascular Surgery, Russian Children's Clinical Hospital.
Dr. Alexander V. Bystrov is telling:
We have been using bioengineering technologies for several years. The bioengineering method has shown very good results in treatment of children with lesions of peripheral nervous system.
In such cases, the child receives therapy with a combination of neural growth factors, which stimulate growth of nerve trunks, and, as a result, damaged nerves can be restored. The growth factors are prepared at the Institute of Transplantology and Artificial Organs. The cost of reagents and materials per patient is 40,000-50,000 roubles ($1500-1850). Presently two patients of our department need the use of this method for their treatment: Alexei Fedotov and Natalia Chernobrova.

11.11.2008 Yesterday Anna M. was urgently transported to the Russian Children's Clinical Hospital by ambulance from the Ivanovo region. The girl had a sudden deterioration of vision. Considering her grave diagnosis and recent extremely complicated cranial operation, the doctors in Ivanovo decided to direct Anna to Moscow at once. She has been admitted to the Department of Neurosurgery.

* * *

We are completing the fundraising for the benefit of Valentina Shishigina. The girl has returned home after a course of antibiotic therapy.

10.11.2008 The total sum spent by the Regional Public Charity Foundation for Seriously ill and Abandoned Children in October 2008 was 5,441,283.33 roubles ($201,530). Continued...

8.11.2008 We are completing the urgent fundraising for treatment of Serezha Bizyaev. Many thanks to all who took part in helping this boy, especially to Sergei, who donated 100,000 roubles ($3630), the major part of the required sum. Two packs of 500-mg Exjade tablets have been ordered for the boy. This amount of the drug will be sufficient till the end of the year. Since the beginning of 2009, the children are to receive iron chelators free of charge within a charitable program launched by Novartis.
But three more children also need urgent help and cannot wait till New Year. Exjade is vitally necessary for them right now. Roman Grigoryan needs two packs of Exjade worth 172,000 roubles ($6250), his brother Artem needs one pack worth 86,000 roubles ($3125), and Zamin Nabiev also needs two packs worth 172,000 roubles ($6250).

7.11.2008 Deputy Head Physician A.A. Bologov and Head of the Department of Marrow Transplantation E.V. Skorobogatova are asking our Foundation to help in purchase of additional appliances for the BIPAP apparatus for noninvasive lung ventilation. Continued...

6.11.2008 The required medications for the Department of Kidney Transplantation (Sandimmun Neoral, Prograf and Myfortic) have been purchased. We whole-heartedly thank Marina, who has donated 600,000 roubles ($22,220) to buy these drugs, which are so vitally important for children after transplantation operations to avoid graft rejection.

5.11.2008 Some news about orphan patients of our hospital.
Three children have been discharged: Slava U., after an examination at the Department of Endocrinology; Vanya Kh., after a successful operation at the Thoracic Department; and Ivan S., after an operation at the Department of Microvascular Surgery. Ivan and Vanya will arrive here again eight months later.
Four children have been admitted. For little Artem E. (3 years old) from Orel, this is his first admission to the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery. Three children have arrived for follow-up treatment: Katya M., to the Department of Nephrology; Sasha K. and Andrei S., to the Department of Traumatology.

31.10.2008 We are completing the fundraising for the benefit of Kharutdin Makhmagaziev. A Dospekhi (Armor) orthopedic system with additional knee-joint appliances have been ordered for the boy. Thank you for helping!
For the time being, we are interrupting the fundraising for the benefit of Natalia Vasilchenko and Ilya Mishin. The amount of Keppra worth 70,847.87 roubles ($2625) has been purchased for each of these children. We are also interrupting the fundraising to buy Exjade for several patients with hereditary anemias: Aisel Mikailova, Marina Revenkova, Anastasia Rodina and Gevork Khandzhan: these children have been provided with the necessary amount of this drug for three months.
At the same time, another child urgently needs Exjade now. This drug is presently vitally necessary for Sergei Bizyaev!

30.10.2008 Recently Ira R. with her mother visited us. Yes, with her mother. At last this charming and talented girl has a real family - and a wonderful family!
Ira lives in Moscow, studies at school with pleasure and still likes drawing and painting. Just as four years ago, we asked her to draw a New Year postcard for us, and Ira agreed.

29.10.2008 We thank people who promptly responded to our request and provided urgent help to Andrei Novoselov! Sergei Savchuk handed us 100,000 roubles ($3700), and Igor donated 91,000 roubles ($3370). The money for the current course of Remicade is available now. Andrei will arrive for follow-up treatment in two months.

28.10.2008 Very good news about Alesha Uchaev. He has quickly recovered after donor bone marrow transplantation, and now he has been allowed to leave hospital and begin out-patient treatment. He is currently living in our House of Hope cottage with his mother.

27.10.2008 Last week, Andrei Novoselov underwent the first stage of Remicade therapy. Just as it has happened with many expensive drugs, the budgetary supply of Remicade to the hospital has been interrupted, and nobody knows when it will be resumed. And, unfortunately, there are fewer people willing to help a teenager than to save a charming baby... So far we received Remicade for Andrei on credit. The dose costs 94,000 roubles ($3480).
The results of the Remicade therapy matched our best expectations. The pains in the joints have ceased; the boy can now walk and sleep at night without analgesics.
This week Andrei will have the next dose of Remicade administered to him, which means that we somehow have to find 94,000 roubles again... Please help the boy!

26.10.2008 For the time being, we are interrupting the fundraising for the benefit of Kristina Kobzeva. The sum necessary for the girl's examination in Germany has been raised. Presently Kristina is waiting for a reply from the German clinic, where the date of the examination will be set. If, according to the results of this exam, the German physicians decide that an operation is possible, fundraising for Kristina will be resumed. Please pray for the girl's health!

20.10.2008 On a warm autumn day, October 4, a team of young volunteers from the Russian office of Microsoft visited the territory of the new rehabilitation center for orphan patients. The main construction works are over, and the young people volunteered to clean the territory. And they indeed cleaned it in one day! Thank you, dear friends!
Continued...

19.10.2008 Since the beginning of October, volunteers at our hospital church have resumed art lessons and meetings of hobby groups: painting, guitar and synthesizer playing, stuffed toys, beadwork.
And presently we have new friends: volunteers from the staff of Moscow office of Microsoft. Young programmers and managers of this company supported the initiative of their administration (which regularly provides financial help to our hospital) and proposed their own volunteer programs. Now specialists from Microsoft work among teachers of computer classes at our church, and young people who have mastered the program of Microsoft courses will be able to get official certificates from respresentatives of this company, which must be quite useful for further job search. Continued...

18.10.2008 Some news about orphan patients of our hospital.
Three children had surgical interventions during the last week: Inna N. and Ivan S. from the Department of Microvascular Surgery, as well as little Vanya Kh. from the Department of Thoracic Surgery. Although all the operations were serious, the children are feeling fine, recovering well, and the doctors are satisfied with the first results.
Two children have left the hospital: Vera Sh. and Kristina K. Vera has had a detailed examination, more precise diagnosis has been established, and now the girl is to receive treatment at a local clinic, according to our doctors' recommendations.

Kristina has been allowed to go to her orphanage for six months. The effect of the operation will be completely clear by the end of this period, and it will be possible to evaluate the prospects of the child's rehabilitation. Kristina was very reluctant to leave the hospital and her new friends.
Three children have been admitted. Two of them had visited our hospital earlier: Slava U. will receive treatment at the Department of Endocrinology; Angelina Z., at the Department of Traumatology.
For five-year-old Masha K., it is the first admission to hospital. Unfortunately, the girl is very gravely ill. She will receive long and difficult treatment at the Department of Oncohematology. Our experienced nurse Natalia will take care of her.

And the last (and best) piece of news: on October 16, Ruslan R. was taken home by his new father and mother! It is a kind of a "jubilee" for us: the thirtieth adopted child among those who have received treatment within the You Are Not Alone program. The Head Physician of the hospital personally handed the kid to his parents. Actually, during the last weeks we have learned that several of our former patients now live in new families, including Dasha N., Tanya S. and Amina Ya. However, the number of photographs here is smaller than 30, because the adoptive parents of some children do not want information on their children to be present on a Web site.

17.10.2008 We have completed the fundraising for the benefit of Vika Slobodyan. The endoprosthesis has been ordered, and the operation will take place in a week. Vika's mother is very grateful to all who have responded and helped, especially to Svetlana and Zinaida Alexeevna.

16.10.2008 We regret to tell that Svetlana Smirnova, one of the first people who received help via this Web site, passed away on October 14. Eight years ago our readers helped her in buying antibiotics and coping with a very grave exacerbation of her disease, cystic fibrosis.
When Svetlana turned 18, she could no longer come to a pediatric hospital for examinations and treatment. Unfortunately, adult patients with cystic fibrosis encounter especially serious problems in our country: the amounts of drugs and the number of hospital beds available for them are more than scarce. Svetlana lived in her small village in the Kostroma region and periodically had check-ups at Moscow Hospital No. 57, the only hospital in our country that has a specialized department for adult patients with CF. Her loving family took care of her, and kind people helped in fundraising to buy antibiotics. Svetlana, so kind and affectionate, was everybody's favorite. She couragenously struggled against her illness all her life, but the last exacerbation was too grave for her. She was 23. Please pray for her soul.

8.10.2008 Some news about orphan patients of our hospital.
Leonid M. went home after a check-up. He is all right, and the doctors are expecting him to arrive again a year later.
Our old friend Vanya B. has also left the hospital to arrive again a year layer. The doctors are still controlling his condition.

New children have been admitted: Vanya Kh. (2 years old) to the Thoracic Department, Inna N. (14 years old) to the Department of Microvascular Surgery No. 1, Ivan S. (13 years old) to the Department of Microvascular Surgery No. 2, little Ilya I. (2.5 months old) to the Department of Neurosurgery. Last week, little Igor K. was admitted to hospital again for a check-up.

7.10.2008 As we have already told, a "school of clowns" was organized at our hospital to teach young volunteers how to amuse the ill children. See photographs of our new hospital clowns here (text is in Russian).

3.10.2008 In September 2008, the hospital received charitable help for a total of 3,168,027.33 roubles ($126,720). The sum transferred from the account of the Regional Public Charity Foundation for Seriously ill and Abandoned Children for the benefit of the hospital patients was 2,662,770.37 roubles ($106,510). Direct donations of private persons amounted to 505,256.96 roubles ($20,210). Continued...

2.10.2008 We are completing the fundraising for Ivan Kuzmin, which has just been started. Many thanks to Irina, who helped the boy so promptly.

1.10.2008 We have completed the fundraising for the benefit of Ilya Ostanin. A Home Choice apparatus for peritoneal dialysis at home has been bought for the boy. Thank you for helping!

30.09.2008 Some news about orphan patients of our hospital.
Kristina K. has undergone a successful neurosurgical intervention. Rehabilitation should now be performed.
Two children have left the hospital. After the first stage of reconstructive treatment, Lyuda B. was discharged from the Department of Microvascular Surgery. We will see this merry and restless girl many more times: she has large post-burn scars, and multistep treatment is necessary. Denis K. has also been discharged. His treatment and rehabilitation (Denis has a serious congenital disorder) have not yet lead to expected results. Now the doctors are deciding on his further treatment, possibly at a foreign clinic.
New patients have arrived: Vanya Kh. (2 years old) was admitted to the Thoracic Department (it is his first admission to the hospital), and Leonid M. and Vanya B. have come for a check-up.

29.09.2008 We remove three more requests from the first page of our Web site.
As you may remember, Deputy Head Physician of the Russian Children's Clinical Hospital A.A. Bologov and Head of the Center for Kidney Transplantation A.L. Valov asked our Foundation to help in purchasing medications for the Department of Kidney Transplantation. After such transplantations, patients need Sandimmune Neoral and Prograph, which have not been purchased by the hospital now owing to reorganization of the federal agency that is responsible for such purchases. The total cost of drugs required for treatment of eight children (S. Mezhidov, P. Fedorov, P. Petrosyan, A. Paliga, N. Mikhailova, G. Yalynko, Yu. Akhatova, and D. Valkov) was about 600,000 roubles ($24,500). Presently the necessary amounts of both medications have been purchased!
A businessman from Rostov-on-Don has agreed to pay the full cost of endoprosthesis for Maxim Kurenkov.
Cement necessary to perform surgical treatment of Dasha Chernenko has also been bought. Thank you for your help!

28.09.2008 We have completed the fundraising for the benefit of two children.
The sum raised for Kirill Sh. is sufficient to pay for a year's course of Intron A. We will resume the fundraising if Kirill's doctors decide that therapy with this drug should be continued further. Let us wish good luck to Kirill in his struggle against the grave infection.
The boy needs a home and a family!
The electronic hearing aid for Slava Pronin has been paid for. We are grateful to all who have responded, and especially to the Sozidanie foundation, which regularly supports our patients. Now Slava can hear everything around him, and we hope that his further life will be successful.

12.09.2008 Some news about orphan patients of our hospital.
Anna M., very happy now, has been discharged from hospital. She went home with a lot of presents from the foundation, from volunteers, and from mothers of other children at her department, who supported the girl during the treatment.
During the last week, Nadya K. and Tanya L. were discharged from the Department of Traumatology, Vika V. left the Diagnostic Department, and our old friends Sasha Ch. and Kolya B. went home from the Department of Microvascular Surgery. The boys will arrive for follow-up treatment at the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery a year later.
Several new children appeared at the hospital in the beginning of September.
A three-month-old baby boy named Timur D. was admitted to the Department of Neurosurgery and operated there at once. Another boy with the same name, Timur P. from Shuya, has been operated at the Department of Urology and discharged from hospital.
A four-year-old girl from Shuya named Kristina K. is being examined at the same Department of Neurosurgery.

Yakov A. from Khakassia has left the hospital for his native town. Everybody liked the boy immensely.
A nice serious girl from Ryazan, Vera Sh., has been admitted to the Diagnostic Department for an examination.
Lyuda B., 8 years old, from Buryatia, is to receive long-term treatment at the Department of Microvascular Surgery. She has large post-burn scars.

9.09.2008 We remove the story of Anna Novikova from the first page of our Web site. Special thanks to Elena, who provided money for a complete two-month course of Exjade therapy for Anna.
We also whole-heartedly thank Ilmar, who handed us the complete sum required to pay for unrelated transplantation of bone marrow to Katya Gordeeva. The fundraising for Katya has been completed.

8.09.2008 The total sum of charitable help provided to the hospital in August 2008 was 4,302,225.08 roubles ($168,715).

Sums transferred from the account of the Regional Public Charity Foundation for help in treatment of patients of the Russian Children's Clinical Hospital amounted to 3,617,348.83 roubles ($141,857).
Private persons provided help for a total of 684,876.25 roubles ($26,858). Continued...

2.09.2008 We thank all who have transferred money for treatment of Alexei Uchaev and Vika Plyusnina. The required sums have been raised. Yesterday Alexei Uchaev was admitted to the Department of Marrow Transplantation, and the transplantation will take place very soon. Let us wish him good luck!
Aldurazyme worth 16,650 euro has been bought for Vika. We specially thank our friends who helped organize the purchase of this rare drug abroad and resolve the customs formalities.

1.09.2008 We are completing the fundraising for treatment of Ksenia Navalikhina and Artem Kornblyum. Thanks to your help, DNA analysis has been performed for Artem and Cymevene worth 37,818.65 roubles ($1544) has been purchased. For Ksenia, we have bought Albumin, Sandostatin, and Venofer (iron sucrose) worth a total of 120,233.3 roubles ($4907). Thank you for your help!

31.08.2008 Katya Gorbunova is back from Germany. Unfortunately, a detailed examination showed that presently surgical intervention is impossible for medical reasons. The operation will be postponed for a few months, when the problems and contraindications disappear. Let us wish patience and courage to Katya.

23.08.2008 Some news about orphan patients of our hospital.
Two little girls were discharged yesterday: Katya N. and Tanya K. Katya is feeling much better after the surgery. Her muscles have become stronger, and the girl moves actively and can sit down by herself. She will return for follow-up treatment half a year later. Our beautiful Tanya has completed her treatment at the Department of Traumatology. Alas, this bright, tender, loving and charming girl will remain disabled to some extent... It is very important for her to live in a family!
Instead of Yan, who has left our hospital, Vika from Chukotka has arrived. This serious 16-year-old girl dreams of becoming an economist.

20.08.2008 We are completing fundraising for the benefit of Masha Cherkashina, who needed an anticonvulsant. The money raised by now is sufficient to buy a six-month amount of Keppra for Masha. We thank all who have helped the girl.

* * *

Our orphan patient Anna M. is successfully recovering after a serious maxillofacial surgery, which was performed at the end of June. The doctors are satisfied with her condition, and Anna herself is more than happy!
The girl's diagnosis is congenital craniocerebral hernia. It is not just a grave cosmetic defect but also a life-threatening condition. This congenital disorder (fortunately, very rare) sometimes induces malinformed parents to abandon such a child right after birth. Neither the parents, nor, often, the staff of maternity hospitals know that surgical intervention at an early age eliminates this defect completely and the child can subsequently develop like any normal kid. Anna's case shows that the staff of orphanages may also be ignorant of the fact that surgical treatment of this disorder is quite efficient and must be performed without delay.
Anna has allowed us to publish her photographs before and after the surgery. Soon the doctors will take off her bandages and she will become very pretty.

19.08.2008 Some news about orphan patients of our hospital.
Milena L. has left for Yakutsk. She spent over two years at our hospital, since June 2006, leaving it only for out-patient rehabilitation and for a surgery in Germany (2007).
In 2008, she had an operation at our hospital and underwent intensive postoperative treatment and rehabilitation. Now Milena is to return to Yakutsk for some formalities with her disability documents and future school studies, and she is to be back in Moscow in January 2009. She was reluctant to leave the hospital, although our nurse Natalya went to accompany her. And when Milena comes back, she will probably live in our new cottage for orphan patients. She has long been dreaming about it.

18.08.2008 Some news about orphan patients of our hospital.
Yan Z. has been discharged after an examination and conservative treatment. He is already back in Chukotka. Fortunately, some of his earlier diagnoses proved to be wrong. The boy is feeling fine.
Denis has undergone his long-awaited surgery. Although he is still in plaster and will go through a long rehabilitation course, the doctor's words, "You will stand up and leave your wheelchair" sound like the sweetest music to him. He is already willing to have his own crutches, but it is impossible to measure him and choose the right size, because the boy is covered with plaster from toes to armpits.
Sasha and Kolya from Kolomna have arrived at the hospital for the third time. This time, they were admitted to the Department of Microvascular Surgery for separation of webbed fingers.

And the main piece of good news: Sasha K., one of our oldest friends, a boy with a very difficult destiny, has a new family now! Sasha will live in Moscow, and his father will be together with him during hospital treatment. The boy is already 14. He had not seen warmth and care since early childhood, and only at the hospital the boy has again learned to trust people and love them.

15.08.2008 We have completed the fundraising for the benefit of four children.
Thanks to your help, Renat Gamzaev has been provided with Exjade for 1 year. We thank all who donated money for this little boy!
Very good news: an HLA-matching hematopoietic stem cell donor has been found for Egor Plaksin. The transplantation is planned for September. Thank you for your help: the fundraising to the boy's benefit has been successfully completed. Many thanks to Svetlana, who has transferred most of the required sum.
Maxim Zhitinev is to go to Germany for the next (and we hope that the last) surgery on August 27. We thank Igor, who has handed the entire required son to Maxim's mother.
The prosthesis for Zarina Unanyan has been bought. We thank all who helped this beautiful girl.

14.08.2008 In July 2008, the hospital received charitable help for a total of 2,720,660.74 roubles ($111,047). The total sum transferred from the account of the Regional Public Charity Foundation for Seriously ill and Abandoned Children was 2,217,359.24 roubles ($90,504). Among other things, equipment for the Department of Endoscopic Surgery worth 430,500 roubles ($17,571) and advanced bandaging materials for the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery worth 248,754 roubles ($10,153) were purchased on request of the hospital administration. Private persons donated a total of 503,301.5 roubles ($20,543). Continued...

13.08.2008 Vitalik Sotnikov is back from Germany. He is feeling fine. The last surgery was successful: adhesions have been separated, and now the boy can freely open his mouth. Orthodontic braces have been set, and correction of the lower lip has been performed. Unfortunately, there is still something to do. When time comes, Vitalik will go to Germany for the next (and hopefully the last) surgery.

12.08.2008 Some news about orphan patients of our hospital.
Katya N. is recovering after the second surgery. The doctors are satisfied with the results of her treatment and say that Katya's chances are very good. Katya is everybody's favorite at the department: this pretty and affectionate girl meets everybody with smiles and singing. He intellectual development is normal for her age, she loves playing both with adults and other children, and she never cries during treatment.

6.08.2008 Some news about orphan patients of our hospital.
Very good news: little Sasha and Andrei have been adopted! Although the boys are not brothers, their future parents just could not choose one of them after seeing their photographs on our Web site and decided that the friends should remain together. They will now go to their new home in a city in Central Russia. So far, they have shown good results during the last examination. The plaster has been partially removed. The boys are to arrive for follow-up treatment in November.
Maxim Z. is recovering after the neurosurgical intervention. The doctors and the entire staff got to admire and respect the boy very much. He had a very large mole on his back, and its removal required serious surgical intervention. Recovering after such a surgery requires a long time and can be difficult. But the tiny boy is very patient and sensible, obeys all the doctors' orders, does not cry when they change his dressings, and in general copes very well. After his back is healed, he will have no health problems.
The amount of Intron A sufficient for three months has been bought for Kirill Sh. (unfortunately, on credit, because the fundraising campaign for his benefit is not very successful so far). He has been allowed to go back to Magadan, where he will receive injections of this drug, which must prevent new growth of papillomas in his larynx. His next surgery at our hospital will take place in November. The boy is to receive intensive treatment with Intron for at least one year, and then maintenance courses for a long time. Otherwise, surgical treatment will be meaningless: growth of papillomas is recurrent, and the child may suffocate. Please help the boy!

1.08.2008 Some news about orphan patients of our hospital.
Three children have been discharged: Dima D. and Igor S. after maxillofacial surgeries and Lyuda R. after an examination, which showed that she needs only care and control rather than urological operation. She will arrive to our hospital again for a check-up three months later.
Anna M. has had a successful neurosurgery. This intervention has very long and difficult, but it was necessary for the girl's survival. In general, such interventions in cases like Anna's should be performed at an early age, when they do not lead to such serious problems. Fortunately, our surgeons were not too late.

31.07.2008 Inessa handed us 23,000 roubles ($940) for Olesya Shumeikina. The girl's radiotherapy has been paid for. Thank you for helping!

30.07.2008 Some news about orphan patients of our hospital.
We are glad to tell you that little Eva, recently discharged from the Department of Immunology, has been adopted! Her new father and mother took her from hospital to her new home.
Sasha and Andrei from the Kursk orphanage have arrived at the Department of Traumatology for follow-up treatment. After an examination, the doctors will decide on further treatment and maybe surgery. Together with them, a new little patient from Kursk has appeared. Lyuda R. (2.5 years old) will be examined at the Department of Urology.

25.07.2008 Some news about orphan patients of our hospital.
After a successful surgery at the Thoracic Department, Lera B. was discharged. She will be admitted for a check-up in February 2009. Larisa B. has completed her treatment course at the Department of Gynecology. Also, Dima D. and Igor S. have had their surgeries.
New children have arrived. Tanya L. (10 years old) from Chukotka has been admitted to the Department of Traumatology and Orthopedics. She is very quiet and self-reliant, yet at the same time sociable and friendly. The medical staff and other children at the department immediately got to like her very much.
Yan Z. (13 years old), also from Chukotka, is at the Department of Nephrology. The boy likes reading (especially encyclopedias) and drawing.
A two-year-boy from the Belgorod region was admitted to the Department of Microvascular Surgery. His name is Maxim Z., and he is accompanied by a nurse. He is a serious and smart boy, speaks very well and calls his nurse "mummy." When he first visited us, he shouted, "Mummy, look, it's a church!" It turned out that the his orphanage is located near a church, where priests are always glad to see the kids.

23.07.2008 After follow-up treatment at the Department of Nephrology, Katya M. was discharged from hospital.

15.07.2008 Some news about orphan patients of our hospital.
Six children have been discharged: Sasha F. from Tula (decision on his urological surgery will be made a year later), Serezha T. and Denis M. from Smolensk, Polina B. from Kamchatka (after a neurosurgical intervention), Veronika P. (she will have a cranial operation in half a year), and Margarita B. (after six-month treatment at the Thoracic Department).

Several other children have been admitted: Angelina Z. for a brief check-up at the Department of Traumatology; Igor S. and Dima D. from the Ryazan region to the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery (a nurse hired by our Foundation will take care of them); Nadya K. (17 years old) from Kostroma to the Department of Traumatology and Larisa G. (16 years old) from the same city to the Department of Gynecology (the girls asked us not to take their photographs for this Web site); Kirill Sh. (3 years old) from Magadan to the Department of Otolaryngology; and Katya N. (13 months old) from the Tver region to the Department of Neurosurgery (and her surgery has already taken place).

12.07.2008 The Department of Endoscopic Surgery has asked our Foundation to buy certain kinds of equipment:
"Every day over 40 children receive examinations and treatment at the Department of Endoscopic Surgery. Many children are in such grave condition that they can be transported only in the lying position. From four to seven manipulations and surgical interventions under anesthesia are performed at this department daily. After anesthesia, the children are transported to a special ward where they spend one or two hours while they wake up.
The problem is that the department has only two gurneys and two special beds, very old and repeatedly repaired. If the doctors had new gurneys and manipulation tables, they could make the postsurgical periods of our patients much safer and ensure fast and efficient transportation of patients.
Your foundation regularly helps the Department of Endoscopic Surgery in purchase of new and expensive equipment. It would be fine if you could help now, too. The gurneys and manipulation table cost a total of 430,000 roubles ($18,300).

Deputy Head Physician of Russian Children's Clinical Hospital A.A. Bologov"

11.07.2008 The hospital has asked our Foundation to help in purchase some materials for the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery:
"Dear colleagues, please help us in purchase of advanced bandaging materials, which are extremely necessary at the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery: Cica-Care sheets, IV 3000 Hand Ported films for catheter fixing, Opsite sprayable films, and Allevin Trach dressings worth a total of 250,000 roubles ($10,205). These materials are to be used for treatment of more than 150 children, especially patients from orphanages.

With gratitude, Deputy Head Physician A.A. Bologov"

10.07.2008 We whole-heartedly thank Svetlana, who has transferred the sum necessary for sending Kirill Fedechkin and Katya Gorbunova to Germany for treatment. We remove their stories from the first page of our Web site, and we will resume the fundraising if German physicians decide, after examining Katya, that the cost of her treatment will exceed the advance payment already made. Let us wish good luck to Kirill and Katya!

7.07.2008 S.Yu. Semykin, Head of the Department of Medical Genetics, has asked our Foundation for urgent help in purchase of Ceftazidime (1000 vials), which is currently lacking at the hospital.

* * *

The fundraising for Sasha Mishina has been completed. The required amount of Colistin has been bought, and the remaining sum was used to buy a Pari Boy inhaler for Katya Kolesnikova.
In June, medications worth 152,300 roubles ($6481) were bought for the Department of Medical Genetics. A Pari Boy H inhaler worth 7900 roubles ($336) was bought for Alena Korsakova.

5.07.2008 In June 2008, the hospital received charitable help for a total of 9,009,756.24 roubles ($383,395).
The total sum spent by the Regional Public Charity Foundation for Seriously ill and Abandoned Children to buy medications, equipment, consumables and to pay for medical services and examinations of patients from the Russian Children's Clinical Hospital in June 2008 was 7,851,705.26 roubles ($334,115). We thank private persons who directly provided help for a total of 1,158,045 roubles ($49,280) to patients of our hospital. Continued...

4.07.2008 We received a request from A.E. Stepanov, Head of the Department of Abdominal Surgery, and Yu.V. Averyanova, surgeon from that department:
"Our department needs financial help for purchasing Mesogel, an anti-adhesive agent.
The formation of adhesions is one of the most difficult problems in abdominal surgery. After any (even minor) surgical intervention on organs of the abdominal cavity, more or less dense fibrous adhesions (commissures) between the organs begin to form. These adhesions often complicate the postsurgical period, and adhesive disease is one of the most frequent diagnoses in operated patients. Sometimes they can lead to intestinal obstruction, which requires urgent (and traumatic) surgery. In the worst case, a kind of a crust forms in the abdominal cavity, making follow-up operations very difficult or even impossible.
Mesogel, an anti-adhesive gel recently developed, is efficient for resolution of adhesions. It is not toxic, allergic, or irritating; also, it cannot serve as a growth medium for microorganisms.
If we could have Mesogel at our department, we would be able to avoid many postsurgical complications due to formation of adhesions. Actually, three surgical departments need it: the Departments of Abdominal Surgery, Coloproctology, and Endoscopy. A.L. Ionov, who heads the Department of Coloproctology, and A.V. Myzin, who heads the Department of Endoscopy, join this request."

2.07.2008 Radiation therapy of Nikita Merkulov has been paid for. Thank you for helping the boy!

26.06.2008 Some news about orphan patients of our hospital.
Dima R. has left the hospital after a successful surgery. He will arrive for a check-up (and for the next surgery, if necessary) in half a year.
Alena K. was discharged after an examination. The doctors have provided detailed recommendations on her treatment by local physicians for the next year, and afterwards it will be possible to decide on future surgery.
Sasha F. (12 years old) from the Tula region was admitted to the Department of Urology. Sasha's mother died a year ago, and he has been at an orphanage since then. In general, he is a home-bred, quiet, and polite boy. He is two elder brothers, but his only grown-up brother is in the army now. He reads a lot and plays with construction sets. Also, he is an ardent football fan and dreams of having a real ball and boots for playing this game.

Two children from the Shuya orphanage have been admitted to the hospital: Anna M. (15 years old) to the Department of Neurosurgery and Denis K. (16 years old) to the Department of Traumatology. Denis wants to become a computer professional and later get a good job. He reads interesting books, listens to music and even embroiders. Anya smiles a lot and tells everybody about her life in the orphanage.

25.06.2008 Within the You Are Not Alone program, a visiting team of specialists from the Russian Children's Clinical Hospital arrived at Shuya, a town in the Ivanovo region (Central Russia), on June 18 and 19, 2008. Physicians from Moscow 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 first two children from this orphanage have already appeared at our hospital. Continued...

19.06.2008 Dear friends, Head of the Department of Endoscopic Surgery A.V. Myzin thanks all sponsors for the significant help provided to this department and asks for a smaller yet important favor. The department needs a TV set with a large screen and a DVD player to distract frightened and crying small children who are waiting for endoscopic examinations and surgeries. Otherwise, even one especially nervous or fretful child can create problems for everybody, including doctors and other patients.

* * *

Thanks to Svetlana's special donation, the sum required for treatment of Masha Tseberyaboi in Germany has been transferred to the bank account. Dear Svetlana, thank you for your regular and great help to our patients!
Masha and her mother are to go to Munich in the nearest few days. Let us wish good health to the girl!

14.06.2008 Again tragic news from the Department of Marrow Transplantation. Stanislav Andryukov died of complications after unrelated transplantation. It was his only chance, but, alas, it did not work.

12.06.2008 We have completed the fundraising for the benefit of Irina Shestakova and Dasha Gerasimova. Dasha's examination has been paid for. Thanks to Maria's special donation, the amount of CellCept sufficient for the treatment course has been bought for Irina.

10.06.2008 Some news about orphan patients of our hospital.
Two boys from the Smolensk orphanage have been admitted for an examination: Serezha T. (2 years 8 months old) and Denis M. (2 years 6 months old). Just as all kids arriving from this orphanage, Serezha and Denis hardly resemble children left by their parents. They are merry, sociable, quiet and well cared for. It is evident that the administration and staff of this orphanage do everything to compensate the lack of family to small kids and to find new real families for them.
Two of our patients had their surgeries yesterday: Lera B. from the Thoracic Department and Tanya K. from the Department of Traumatology.
Dima A. has been discharged from our hospital and transferred to the Research Institute of Pediatrics (Department of Pulmonology) for further examination. Fortunately, the suspected cystic fibrosis was not found in his case.

9.06.2008 Some news about our orphan patients.
A tiny two-month-old boy has appeared at the Department of Urology. He is Dima R. from Kursk. The boy is quite active and smiles all the time. He has already had the planned surgery, and presently he is feeling all right.

8.06.2008 Dear friends,
the charitable service at the Russian Children's Clinical Hospital is opening a new Web site on http://deti.org/ (sorry, the trial version is only in Russian so far). Our main Web site Help Us Save the Children will remain as is, and its main objective still consists in fundraising for treatment and rehabilitation of gravely ill patients at the Russian Children's Clinical Hospital. The new site will provide more detailed information about our organization and its members and activities. This is virtually impossible within the old site, since it is already overloaded.

7.06.2008 In May 2008, the hospital received charitable help for a total of 1,899,218 roubles ($80,820).
The total sum spent by the Regional Public Charity Foundation for Seriously ill and Abandoned Children for purchasing medications, equipment, consumables, and paying for examinations and medical services to hospital patients in May 2008 was 1,290,618.77 roubles ($54,920), and private persons and organizations donated 608,600 roubles ($25,900).

* * *

Dr. V.S. Kochkin, who heads the Department of Resuscitation and Anesthesiology and the Surgical Unit of the Russian Children's Clinical Hospital, asks for help:
"We would be extremely grateful to your charitable foundation if you could help us in buying a fiber bronchoscope for fiberoptic tracheal intubation in patients with grave congenital and acquired deformations of the facial skeleton. Our department has one fiber bronchoscope, but its parameters are not suitable for complex fiberoptic intubations in patients under 4-5 years. During the last two years, we could not provide planned treatment to 20 patients, since fiberoptic intubation was just technically impossible in these cases; moreover, the Endoscopic Department has no suitable equipment for this purpose either.
An LF-GP tracheal intubation fiberscope (OLYMPUS) is completely suitable for these purposes in terms of all necessary parameters and requirements. It costs about $15,000.
Also, this instrument should be purchased together with special conductors to be passed through the aspiration channel."

* * *

Maxim Zhitinev needs your help again. An infection developed in the postoperative period, and partial rejection of the transplanted tissues took place. Therefore, the German surgeons performed an additional surgery on Maxim's soft tissues in May, and correction of the cartilaginous tissue, which had earlier been planned for May, had to be postponed till summer. Accordingly, the family had to spend part of the money on this additional operation. Now the Zhitinevs are at home, but soon Maxim is to go to Germany again. The doctors in Munich say that additional payment for Maxim's future surgery will amount to 10-15 thousand euro.

6.06.2008 We have completed the fundraising for four more children.
Dima Oreshkin's examination in Germany has been paid for, and the German physicians are expecting Dima and his mother to arrive in July 2008. The entire required amount of Cymevene, which is vitally necessary for Vika Martynova, has been bought. A compression inhaler and some Colistin have been bought for Sonya Maltseva, and a compression inhaler has also been bought for Dasha Gorobenko. We specially thank Svetlana and Alexander for helping these children.

5.05.2008 Some news about the orphan patients.
Andrei S. and Sasha K. have recovered after follow-up surgical treatment and left the Department of Traumatology. During their stay at the hospital, both boys have become the volunteers' and the doctors' favorites. Andrei is smart and curious, Sasha is serious and quiet, but both are equally charming. We were reluctant to part with them.
Alena Kh. was discharged from the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery after a follow-up examination. She will arrive here again a year later, for rhinoplasty.
Vladik Sh. has also been discharged. The kid has undergone a detailed medical examination, and the first surgery is scheduled for the autumn of 2008.
Alena B-na has had the next course of therapy at the Department of Endocrinology. The girl will arrive at our hospital a year later.
Masha Z. has been discharged from the Thoracic Department after a successful surgery.
Ksenia L. and Serezha V. have been discharged after a rehabilitation course.

31.05.2008 Our Foundation has received a letter from the hospital administration, signed by Deputy Head Physician A.A. Bologov:
"The administration of the hospital would be grateful for financial help for purchasing a filtration and filling setup for the hospital pharmacy. Since the number of children admitted to the hospital for treatment has recently increased, the pharmacy has much more work with filling and packing of medications. Therefore, timely and accurate service necessitates the use of such an apparatus, which is generally very helpful at a present-day pharmacy. The setup costs 36,000 roubles ($1530). We would be whole-heartedly grateful to you for helping us."

Sasha Sergeev has finished his radiotherapy in Germany. The physicians both in Munster and in Moscow are satisfied with the results of the treatment and with the boy's condition. The boy is at home now. He will arrive at hospital only for maintenance therapy.

30.05.2008 The staff of the Department of Abdominal Surgery would be grateful for financial help in payment for examinations that will be performed by a laboratory belonging to the Federal Center for Pediatric Hematology, Oncology, and Immunology.
List of tests:

• Detection of CMV in blood, saliva, urine, and liver biopsy specimens using qualitative (PCR) and, if detected, quantitative methods.
• Detection of the Epstein-Barr virus in blood and liver biopsy specimens using qualitative (PCR) and, if detected, quantitative methods.
• Detection of the Herpes simplex type 6 virus in blood using a qualitative method.

29.05.2008 The hospital administration has asked us to buy Lamolep (Lamotrigine) and Sandimmun for a total of 880,000 roubles ($37,500). These medications are currently lacking at the hospital, but some of our most gravely ill patients urgently need them. Please help!

28.05.2008 We thank Alexander for 20,000 roubles ($850) transferred to us for the benefit of Vika Martynova. More than one-half of the required quantity of Cymevene has been bought.

27.05.2008 Some news about orphan patients of our hospital.
Kolya L. was discharged after an examination at the Department of Ophthalmology. The physicians hope that it will be possible to perform surgical treatment so that the boy could see at least with one eye; the prospects of further treatment are under discussion. Please pray for this nice and kind boy!
After a successful operation at the Deparment of Maxillofacial Surgery, Vova D. was discharged from hospital.
Angelina Z. is to be discharged from hospital on May 28 (her birthday). The girl will arrive for follow-up tratment half a year later. This merry and restless girl doesn't want to part with her new friends and wonderful doctors from the Department of Traumatology. Six little orphans were at this department in May, and they had a good time, in spite of crutches and plaster.

Two new children have arrived at the hospital.
Denis A. from Shuya (Ivanovo region) is 15 years old. This quiet and independent boy is at the Department of Medical Genetics.
Little Polina B. (14 months old) from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskii, accompanied by her nurse, arrived for follow-up examination at the Department of Neurosurgery. The girl has grown up a lot. She tries to say something in her baby language and plays with her toys all the time. We even had to take away her toys to make her photograph, because otherwise she looks only at these toys.

26.05.2008 We are finishing the fundraising for the benefit of four patients: Vitalik Sotnikov, Dima Zaitsev, Egor Urkin, and Vladik Zavolokov.
It has been two years since Dr. Litvinov, Head of the Department of Oncohematology-16, brought us a message asking us to help Vitalik. The last words of this letter were "please try to save him." But the boy's case turned out to be quite unique: the efforts of Russian and German physicians not only saved Vitalik's life but also brought his face back. This is a miracle even in our age of high-tech medicine.
Now, at last, Vitalik is at home. The final minor surgery will take place in Munich in June. Sergei, who regularly helps this family, provided the money for this last surgery and the journey to Munich.
The required examination for Dima Zaitsev has been paid for.
Unfortunately, no unrelated donors for Egor Urkin and Vladik Zavolokov have been found in the Stefan Morsch registry by now. Significant sums have been raised for both boys, and we will interrupt further fundraising till matching donors for Vladik and Egor are found.
Many thanks to all who have responded.

25.05.2008 Today, on 4 a.m., Daniil Kolesnik died at the Intensive Care Department of complications after the second marrow transplantation. He had a lung failure. Please pray for Daniil's mother Nastya. This courageous woman fought for her child's life together with the doctors till the last minute.

20.05.2008 Dr. M.G. Akopyan, who heads the Department of Intensive Care, asks for your help. His department urgently needs equipment, which costs about $70,000. Continued...

19.05.2008 Some news about orphan patients of our hospital.
A new girl from the Tula region has arrived at the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery. Veronika P. (3 years old) has a very serious facial deformation.

Little Ruslan R. has spent less than 2 months at the hospital. He is a patient of the Thoracic Department. In general, he is recovering quite well. He is just unrecognizable: when we saw him first, he was sleepy, passive, and just never smiled. How he is a smart and energetic kid, always ready to move and to play. (His photo on admission is on the left; his photo at present is on the right.)

Two children from the Smolensk orphanage appeared at our hospital during the last week. Vova D. (2.3 months old) has already undergone his first operation at the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery. For Tanya K. (2.8 months old), it is her second admission to the hospital; she will have a follow-up operation at the Department of Traumatology.
Sasha K. has gone through the next stage of plastic surgery on his nose. He is changing in front of our eyes, and we are very glad for the boy and grateful to wonderful surgeons!

18.05.2008 Some news about orphan patients of our hospital.
After treatment, Polina F. and Nastya T. were discharged from hospital.
It has been half a year since Rita B., a girl of three, appeared at our hospital. Our wonderful nurse Nadezhda takes care of her. On admission Margarita could drink only 40 g of milk formula at once, and her nurse had to feed her literally drop by drop. Now the girl eats normal food in normal amounts and gains weight. She has become so strong and lively that she is totally unrecognizable. Although Rita has Down syndrome, she develops well, smiles at lot, plays with toys, understands her nurse's words and obeys her orders.

14.05.2008 Some news about orphan patients of our hospital.
A new boy has appeared at the Department of Ophthalmology. After a grave injury, Kolya L. (7 years old) from Sergiev Posad became almost blind. He liked Lego construction sets before his tragedy, but now he cannot see the small pieces. The boy dreams of a magnetic construction set. This interesting and beautiful toy is just what he needs.
Two children have left the hospital: after a rehabilitation course, Alesha U. went back to Ulan-Ude; he is to arrive for follow-up treatment in September. Little Igor K. from the Department of Neurosurgery has recovered after his operation and also left the hospital.
Many new children appeared at the hospital during the last few days: Polina F. (11 years old) from Odintsovo is at the Department of Endocrinology, Masha Z. (8 years old) from the Orel region and Lera B. (2 years old) from Arkhangelsk are at the Thoracic Department; Serezha V. (4 years old) and Ksenia L. (8 months old) from the Vladimir region are at the Department of Rehabilitation.
Two small kids from the Tver region were admitted to the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery: for Alena Kh. (2 years 11 months old), it is a follow-up examination; for Vladik Sh. (1 year 10 months old), it is the first medical examination.

13.05.2008 The total sum spent by the Regional Public Charity Foundation for Seriously ill and Abandoned Children for purchasing medications, equipment, consumables, and paying for examinations and medical services provided to hospital patients in April 2008 was 2,612,319 roubles ($111,163). Continued...
We also thank private persons and organizations for charitable help to our patients. The total sum donated by them was 1,585,747 roubles ($67,480).
Albina transferred 6810 euro to the account of the Munster University Clinic as an advance payment for treatment of Vika Goryacheva; Boris handed 150,000 roubles ($6380) to Vika's mother so that she could pay for the flight tickets, visa, insurance, medications, and the family's daily expenses in Germany.
The Italian association Aiutateci a Salvare i Bambini Onlus, headed by Enio Bordato, transferred 7110 euro to the account of the Munster clinic as the advance payment for radiotherapy to Sasha Sergeev. Alexander handed 3000 euro to Sasha's mother for flight tickets and daily expenses.
Sergei handed 10,000 euro to the mother of Vitalik Sotnikov to cover the debt to the Munich University Clinic.
Maxim and Vladimir paid 77,778 roubles ($3310) for purchase of Ceftazidime for the Department of Medical Genetics.
Roman paid a total of 118,512.72 roubles ($5043) for purchase of Ceftazidime for the Department of Medical Genetics and Epirubicin for the Department of Oncology.
Elena bought 3 packs of Exjade worth about $10,000 for Anastasia Rodina.
Nikolai Nikolaevich transferred 14,000 roubles ($595) to the Department of Kidney Transplantation to buy a new laundry washer.

12.05.2008 Svetlana, mother of Vika Goryacheva, brought us a letter for publication on our Web site.
"We are back from Germany. Vika has received radiotherapy at one of the best German clinics in 8 sessions. We thank radiotherapist Anna Gudvina for helping us in timely organization of this journey; without her, our chances to get there in time would be slight. We whole-heartedly thank Albina (we don't know her last name) and her friends, who paid for most of our treatment. We thank Boris who handed us money for daily life in Germany. We thank everybody who supported us. And, of course, we thank your Foundation, which played the main role in organizing Vika's treatment in Germany: fundraising, contacts with the clinic, other arrangements...
Vika had some problems, including those associated with everyday administration of anesthetics, but on the whole everything was all right. Now physicians of the Russian Children's Clinical Hospital will control Vika's condition for 40 to 60 days after the radiotherapy, and afterwards she will have maintenance therapy for 1.5 years. We will try to rent an apartment in Moscow somehow, since the doctors who are to control Vika's condition are all in Moscow.

Yours respectfully,
Vika's parents."

9.05.2008 At the end of 2007, our friends helped us organize a comfortable corner for art therapy and creative work of our patients in the hospital church. Now volunteers can work with children (of course, only those who are allowed to leave their departments) every day. The most popular are art lessions: drawing, decoupage, decorative art. The teachers are Eugenia, Oxana, Alexandra, Tamara, Elena, Alla Isaakovna, Ira and Anya, Eric (volunteer artist from France). Many children want to study music. Kostya, Max and Ivan teach them to play the guitar; Vladimir Shishkarev composes songs with them and teaches them to play the guitar and synthesizer, and Tanya is their piano teacher. Max and Ilya teach them acting. Volunteer Lidia Andronovna shows the children how to knit, and not only girls but also boys work with sincere interest. See a small photo gallery showing these art lessons here: part 1, part 2, and part 3.

8.05.2008 Two news orphan patients have been admitted to the hospital: Kolya L. and Masha Z. On the whole, 20 orphan patients receive treatment at our hospital at present within the You Are Not Alone program.

6.05.2008 Dr. Sergei Semykin, Head of the Department of Cystic Fibrosis, says that his department needs help again. "Children with cystic fibrosis and presence of B. Cepacia in the cultures needs Ceftazidime 1.0 for IV administration (1000 vials) and Metrogyl also for IV administration (300 vials). Both drugs are currently lacking at the hospital."

4.05.2008 $4200 was transferred by Akara Bldg Wickhams Cayi from Vienna for Veronika Podrazhanets.

29.04.2008 We have completed the fundraising for the benefit of two children. The complete sum required to pay for the medical examination of Liza Lozenko has been transferred to the account of our Foundation. Ortheses for Sasha Polyakov have also been purchased, and their cost turned out to be much lower than expected: only 7200 roubles (about $300).

28.04.2008 Some news about orphan patients of our hospital. After follow-up treatment Slava U. was discharged from hospital; at the same time, Alena B. has arrived at the hospital again.

23.04.2008 News of the You Are Not Alone program.
On April 16 and 17, 2008, a visiting team of our hospital physicians again performed medical examinations of orphans at a provincial institution, this time in Smolensk. The team was headed by Deputy Head Physician Nelli A. Ignatieva. It also included Head of the Department of Ophthalmology I.M. Chinenov, Head of the Department of Psychoneurology-2 E.S. Ilyina, Head of the Department of Nephrology M.B. Sagalovich, Head of the Department of Endocrinology M.E. Karmanov, pediatric gynecologist Prof. D.A. Bizhanova, urologist G.V. Kozyrev, traumatologist-orthopedist I.V. Trubin, maxillofacial surgeon V.A. Batyunin, and pediatrician E.S. Mar'mova.
The consultations took place on the basis of the Smolensk City and Regional Pediatric Hospitals. A total of 110 children (332 consultations) were examined. Continued...

22.04.2008 Some news about orphan patients of our hospital.
Nastya A. and Amina Ya. from the Kolomna orphanage have been discharged from hospital after follow-up operations at the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery. Kolya S. from the Penza orphanage, as well as Marina K. and Alena A., who arrived for a medical examination together with Kolya, have also returned home.
After two successful surgeries at the Department of Coloproctology, Yulia K. was discharged. The director of her orphanage personally came to take her home. During the three months at our hospital, Yulia has become our very good friend, and our parting with her was sad.
Seven orphans have been admitted to the hospital, including five small kids at the Department of Traumatology: Alena K. (3 years old) from the Penza region, two charming boys Sasha K. (2 years old) and Andrei S. (3 years old) from Kursk, Angelina Z. (4 years old) from the town of Aleksin and Valya O. (4 years old) from the Tula region.
A new patient of the Rehabilitation Department is Alesha U. (9 years old) from Ulan-Ude, and Nastya T. (17 years old) from the Vologda region is at the Department of Endocrinology.

14.04.2008 We have completed the fundraising for the benefit of three children.
The entire cost of the apparatus for Veronika Podrazhanets has been paid thanks to special donations. Thank you for your prompt response!
An anonymous private sponsor has provided money to pay 6810 euro for the radiation therapy of Vika Goryacheva at the Munster University Clinic; also Boris has handed money for the flight tickets and life in Germany to Vika's parents. Vika has already had her preliminary examinations at the clinic, and radiotherapy will start on April 21.
Sasha Sergeev and his mother are also going to Munster this week. The required sum has been raised thanks to our partners, the Italian association Aiutateci a salvare i bambini. The advance payment of 7110 euro has been transferred to the account of the clinic, and Alexander has handed 3000 euro for the flight tickets and future expenses in Germany to Sasha's mother.

13.04.2008 The total sum spent by the Regional Public Charity Foundation for Seriously ill and Abandoned Children to buy medications, equipment, consumables, to pay for medical services and examinations provided to patients of the Russian Children's Clinical Hospital in March 2008 was 1,964,309.13 roubles ($83,588). Continued...
We thank private sponsors who helped our patients in March:
Thanks to a special private donation, it was possible to pay for the Alpha 01 mobile disinfection setup for the Department of Medical Genetics (cystic fibrosis). It has already been delivered to the hospital.
Elena made an advance payment of 35,000 euro to the account of the Munich clinic for the treatment of Maxim Zhitinev, and Igor provided money for the flight tickets and for the family's board and lodging in Munich.
Sergei handed 15,000 euro to Vitalik Sotnikov's mother to pay for the last stage of his treatment.
Irina bought Baraclude worth 20,500 roubles ($872) for Kirill Kornienko.
Elena provided 267,197.85 roubles ($11,370) to buy 43 packs of Keppra for Vladislav Bulankin, Sergei Melnikov, Masha Cherkashina, and also hearing aids worth 95,000 roubles ($4043) for Rustam Kuziev.
Maxim and Vladimir paid for medications worth a total 64,927.98 roubles ($2763) that had been ordered for all hospital departments.
We are deeply grateful to KB Economics Bank, which regularly supplies additional food products for orphan patients.

8.04.2008 Vika Goryacheva and his mother are going to Munster for radiotherapy tomorrow. All organizational and financial problems have been successfully resolved. We thank everybody who has helped the girl so quickly.

7.04.2008 Patients of the Department of Medical Genetics have been provided with the following means of individual rehabilitation:
Pari Turbo Boy inhalers worth 6500 roubles ($270) for Kemal Kochkarov (2.5 years old) and Tariel Markveladze (16 years old);
Pari Turbo Boy inhaler worth 6599 roubles ($275) for Sofia Mikhailenko (4 years old);
Pari Turbo Boy inhaler worth 7900 roubles ($329) for Dima Shevelev (8 years old);
Pari Turbo Boy N inhalers worth 6500 roubles ($270) for Valeria Handybina (7 years old) and Alena Nikiforova (8 years old).
A pulsoxymeter (a device for measuring the content of oxygen in blood) worth 16,100 roubles ($670) has been bought for Ivan Lishtakov, 17 years old.
Ivan's parents have handed us a letter of thanks.

6.04.2008 We have sad news. Little Vika Kurenkova, who was suffering from grave form of cystic fibrosis, passed away at her home on April 3. She died of severe respiratory insufficiency after her condition deteriorated because of a pulmonary infection. On April 4, also at home, Georgi Vinnikov died. The child had a tumor recurrence.

4.04.2008 Some news about the orphan patients.
Zina K. from Tula has recently been discharged from hospital.
The same day, other children were admitted to the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery: Nastya A. (4 y.o.) and Amina Ya. (2 y.o.) from the Kolomna orphanage for follow-up treatment and three small children from the Penza region for the first time: Kolya S. (3 y.o.), Marina K. (20 months old), and Alena A. (4 y.o.). The children were accompanied by the head physician of their orphanage, who had heard many good things about our foundation and program from Elvira A., a former patient of our Department of Urology, and he decided to see everything by himself. He is more than satisfied by the attitude of the hospital specialists to gravely ill orphans and hopes for further cooperation.
Kolya and Amina had their surgeries right after admission to hospital.

1.04.2008 Some news about our patients who receive treatment in Germany. Maxim Zhitinev with his mother left for Munich on March 31. He will have his surgery in the nearest few days. We thank Elena, who transferred the advance sum to the account of the clinic, and Igor, who handed the money for the flight tickets and daily expenses in Germany to the boy's mother.
And Vitalik Sotnikov has just returned from Munich to Moscow. All things planned by German surgeons have been implemented: a skin flap on a vascular pedicle has been transplanted, defects of the upper and lower lips have been healed, and the tracheostoma has been closed. The final cosmetic correction of the face will take place in June.
We thank Sergei, who regularly helped the Sotnikovs cover part of the expenses associated with their visits to Germany.

30.03.2008 We have completed the fundraising for the benefit of Vladislav Bulankin, Sergei Melnikov, Masha Cherkashina, and Rustam Kuziev. A sponsor who wanted to stay anonymous has paid for the entire remaining necessary amount of Keppra and for Rustam's hearing aids.
Another sponsor, Irina, has bought the amount of Baraclude sufficient till June for Kirill Kornienko. Presently the child doesn't need financial help any more. When he returns to the hospital in summer, the physicians will make new recommendations.
The Finstroi joint-stock company has transferred the complete sum (85,450 roubles) for the Dospekhi orthopedic system to be manufactured for Islam Magomedov.

27.03.2008 Some news about orphan patients of our hospital. After a consultation, little Evdokia (Dunya) I-na was discharged from the Department of Urology and went to her orphanage in Chukotka. The physicians say that presently there is no need for a surgery. She is to arrive here again in half a year. We will be glad to see this charming girl again. Yulia K. from the Department of Coloproctology has had her surgery. She is feeling more or less all right, and our nurse takes care of her.
After recovering from their operations, Vanya A. and Dima B. went home. Dima is a lively and curious boy, always eager to study something together with volunteers. This is why he was reluctant to leave the hospital, although the postsurgical period was not easy for him. He was happy to tell us, however, that the next operation will take place a year later (the surgical treatment requires several stages).
Ira A. was discharged from the Department of Nephrology after intensive treatment. She was in tears when leaving the hospital and parting with everybody here, but the invitation to come for the next consultation in three months consoled her a bit.

26.03.2008 The whole cost of ortheses for Liza Smirnova has been paid, and we remove Liza's story from the first page of our site.
In February, the accounts for the pre-treatment simulation at the Center for Roentgenology and Radiology were paid for Alexei Efimov, Ksenia Lisinskaya, and Islam Magomedov. Eugene Napreev received his radiotherapy at a regional hospital in Bryansk. Thank you for your help! The page about our patients receiving treatment at that center is closed for the time being.

25.03.2008 Artem Miroshin, a former patient of the Department of Oncohematology-16, came for a check-up. He was admitted to our hospital in 2005 with neuroblastoma, a terrible diagnosis. He went through chemotherapy, radiotherapy, kidney removal, marrow autotransplantation. Now this active and optimistic boy, merrily chattering with everybody, bears no sign of the disease that he has conquered together with his courageous mother. Artem is interested in everything in the world, learning to read, but things he loves best are "digging, running, and climbing trees like a monkey." And now he can do all these things, because there are no more medical restrictions. This is how Artem looked in 2005.

20.03.2008 Some news about the orphan patients.
Brothers Maxim and Ivan M. have been discharged from hospital. It was sad to part with these merry and kind boys. During their stay at the hospital, they visited all classes organized by our volunteers, be it guitar playing, singing, or handiwork. They left a lot of friends here. Our Foundation has bought medications for these boys; the amount must be sufficient for a year's long treatment course.
After a thorough examination at the Department of Traumatology, little restless Tanya K. and serious Vasya P-v went back to their orphanage in Smolensk. They will arrive for follow-up treatment only a year later. The administration of their orphanage has sent us a letter of thanks for taking care of the kids.

18.03.2008 Two orphan patients have been admitted to our hospital: little Igor K. has arrived here for the first time, and Evdokia (Dunya) I-na, a girl of five, has come for follow-up treatment. We were glad to see her once more, but the main thing is that the physicians are quite satisfied with her condition.
Katya M-va has been discharged from the Department of Nephrology.

16.03.2008 The total sum spent by the Regional Public Charity Foundation for Seriously ill and Abandoned Children on purchase of medications, consumables, equipment, and paying for medical services in February 2008 was 2,305,705.55 roubles ($98,115). Continued...
We thank private sponsors, who purchased the following medications in February:
Roman bought 20 packs of Neoton worth 55,489.6 roubles ($2361) for the Department of Kidney Transplantation;
Maxim and Vladimir bought 18 packs of Keppra worth 76,355.1 roubles ($3249) for the Department of Psychoneurology No. 1.

13.03.2008 The news from Germany: Vitalik Sotnikov had his final - and successful - reconstructive surgery on March 11. It lasted 10 hours. The physicians are satisfied with the results, and soon Vitalik will be allowed to take off his mask. He is still at the intensive care unit but feels all right and can speak and eat. We are looking forward to seeing him in Moscow.

12.03.2008 Our foundation has received a letter from the parents of children who receive treatment at the Department of Ophthalmology. They thank sponsors and volunteers for help in purchasing endoscopic equipment for operations on tear bags.

11.03.2008 Some news about orphan patients of our hospital.
Two new children have been admitted to the hospital: Ira A. (8 years old) is under examination at the Department of Nephrology, and Slava U. (13 years old) has again arrived for follow-up treatment. He had his surgery half a year ago.
Our charity foundation has received a letter from the orphanage where Olya B-na lives. The administration of the orphanage thanks everybody who helped in organizing Olya's treatment in Moscow.

Our Doctor Clown (Kostya Sedov) is immensely popular at the hospital. Patients of all thirty hospital departments try to bring him to their departments as soon as possible and to keep him there as long as possible. But there are only 24 hours in a day.
And Kostya together with a professional clown named Anton have decided to launch a new program: training of hospital clowns. The first meeting will take place on March 26, 2008. We invite everybody who is willing to help. Experience in acting and in work with children is highly desirable.

5.03.2008 Some news about orphan patients of our hospital. Zina K. (14 years old) from the Tula region was admitted to the Department of Abdominal Surgery for life-saving treatment. She is to have surgery on March 6.

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We remove the story of Daniil Kolesnik from the first page of our site. The money transferred by now is sufficient for medicinal support of marrow transplantation to this boy. Thank you very much!

4.03.2008 Some news about orphan patients of our hospital.
Vanya A. has had his surgery. He is already back at his department. He is now in much better spirits. He smiles more and gets interested in toys.
Two children have been discharged from hospital after their surgeries: Denis R. and Natasha N.; the physicians are expecting them to arrive six months later for a check-up and follow-up treatment.

2.03.2008 Physicians from the Department of Marrow Transplantation are asking for our help again:
"Since January 2007, the Regional Public Charity Foundation for Seriously ill and Abandoned Children has been financing monitoring of linear chimerism for our patients.
Secondary chimerism, i.e., the ratio of donor/recipient cells (in percent) after marrow transplantation, determines the risk of relapse and the survival rate in the posttransplantation period. Now we know that it is important to determine this ratio not in peripheral blood or bone marrow of a patient but in separate leukocyte lines, which perform different functions. Timely revelation of changes in one or another line makes it possible to adjust the treatment method in time, using cell therapy or another type of immunotherapy.
Thanks to help received from your foundation, it became possible to perform monitoring of linear chimerism in the posttransplantation period for all patients of the Department of Marrow Transplantation since January 2007. In 2007, this monitoring showed appearance of undesirable changes in four patients. They received cell therapy, which was successful in 3 out of 4 cases.
Now, to continue monitoring of linear chimerism in the nearest six months, we will need consumables worth a total of 150,000 roubles ($6250). "

Zarema M. Dyshlevaya,
Department of Marrow Transplantation, physician
Vlasta O. Bobrynina
Head of the Laboratory of Molecular Diagnostics

1.03.2008 We are completing the fundraising for the benefit of two children: Katya Efimova and Arina Dmitrieva. Sandimmune Neoral for Arina has been bought in necessary amount. Now budgetary supply of this drug to the hospital has been resumed, and the girl will receive it free of charge. Money for a one-year course of Colimycin therapy for Katya Efimova has been raised. Thank

29.02.2008 Some news about orphan patients of the Russian Children's Clinical Hospital.
Olya B-na will be out of our hospital for several months. She is to go through long-term orthodontic correction, and follow-up surgical treatment will be possible only after its completion. There is no need for Olya to stay constantly in hospital during this period.
Tanya S. from the Novgorod region (10 years old) has been admitted to the Department of Kidney Transplantation. She is accompanied by a nurse from her orphanage.
Ruslan R. (7 months old) from the Orel region has been admitted to the Department of Thoracic Surgery. The boy is accompanied by a nurse from his orphanage.

25.02.2008 Matching cord blood has been found for Daniil Kolesnik. The child has already been admitted to the Department of Marrow Transplantation, and the data of future transplantation has been set.
Vitalik Sotnikov and his mother are to go to Munich for the next surgery on March 3. They are full of optimism. Vitalik is looking forward to the moment when he takes off his mask, which he has been wearing for two years.

22.02.2008 We thank the Video International company, which supplied one more batch of Procter&Gamble diapers (a total of 133,800), always so necessary for the little patients of all hospital departments.

* * *

Some news about the orphan patients.
Little Denis R. is recovering after his surgery. Dr. Fuat Abdullaev, who heads the Department of Urology, has sent us a letter of thanks, saying that 50% of the surgical success is due to the attentive and kind care provided by our nurse Vera Kotova.
Sasha K. from Dmitrov has completed intensive therapy at the Department of Psychoneurology-1 and returned to his orphanage.

21.02.2007 Dr. A. Bologov, Deputy Head Physician of the Russian Children's Clinical Hospital, has asked us for urgent help in purchasing medications that are presently lacking at the hospital. The list of medications needed by all hospital department includes 27 items with a total cost of 495,099.50 roubles ($20,200).

20.02.2008 Eva Z., aged 22 months, has been admitted for follow-up treatment. Last spring she was at the Department of Otolaryngology, now at the Department of Immunology.

* * *

The administration and physicians of the Russian Children's Clinical Hospital have sent a letter to our Foundation. They thank the foundation and all sponsors for their donations, especially to patients of the Department of Marrow Transplantation and to orphan patients.

19.02.2008 We thank Elena, who provided 300,000 roubles ($12,250) for donor search and stem cell harvesting for transplantation to Egor Urkin.

16.02.2008 Ilya K. went to his orphanage in Ukhta (Komi Republic) after the next stage of his treatment (see Ilya with his nurse on the right photo). The physicians are expecting him for follow-up surgery only in February 2009. We will miss this charming boy. It is sad that no new mother has yet come to take him from the orphanage...
Natalia Myakova, who heads the Department of Oncohematology-27, has asked our Foundation to provide a nurse for a boy named Dima S. (7 years old), who arrived at the hospital without his parents owing to family circumstances. Dima and his nurse are shown on the left photo.

14.02.2008 Alexander V. Bystrov, Head of the Department of Microvascular Surgery, asks for help in purchasing an Oxy Megastation setup for correction cicatricial lesions of the face using the microdermabrasion technique. The setup costs about 750,000 roubles ($30,600). Continued...

13.02.2008 The total sum spent by the Foundation for purchasing medications, consumables, payment for medical examinations and services in January 2008 was 654,794.06 roubles ($26,725). Continued...

We also thank private sponsors for their help. Roman bought an oxygen concentrator and sterilizer worth 50,400 roubles ($2057) for a patient from the Department of Medical Genetics; Maxim and Vladimir bought medications worth a total of 68,254.80 roubles ($2785) for the Department of Abdominal Surgery; Sergey handed $25,000 to the mother of Vitalik Sotnikov for the next stage of his treatment in Munich.

The fundraising for the benefit of Kristina Davydova is temporarily interrupted. The girl is wearing an Ilizarov apparatus now, and she will wear it at home. The decision on the endoprosthetics and actual required type of the prosthesis will be made after the apparatus is removed and the traction of the leg is completed.

12.02.2008 Some news about orphan patients of our hospital.
During the last few days, many children from orphanages arrived at our hospital: some for the first time, some for follow-up treatment. Katya M. has again been admitted to the Department of Nephrology, and Vasya P-v, who was at our hospital a year ago, is at the Department of Traumatology. Together with Vasya, a two-year-old girl named Tanya from the same orphanage in Smolensk was also admitted to the Department of Traumatology. Two big boys, brothers Ivan and Maxim M., were admitted to the Department of Gastroenterology. And an 8-year-old boy from Ryazan named Dima G. is at the Department of Microvascular Surgery.
Alesha B. was discharged from the Department of Ophthalmology.
And our "old" patient Sasha K. had yet another plastic surgery. Sasha has already spent one year at the hospital. He has grown up a lot and become much more sociable and friendly. Now he is learning to work on a computer with much interest.

12.02.2008 The Not only illnesses part of our site has been supplemented with a small photo gallery featuring our "Doctor Clown" Konstantin Sedov.

11.02.2008 A few of our former patients visited the hospital this winter. Some You can read the news about Diana Melekhina on her personal page. Also, Sonya Pastukhova, Katya Kurochkina, and Ali Aliev have been added to the portrait gallery of our "graduates". A short story written by Vanya Chubrin, a young writer from Yaroslavl, is placed in the Not only illnesses part of our site.

9.02.2008 Dr. A.V. Myzin, Head of the Department of Endoscopic Surgery, has asked us for help again:
"The Department of Endoscopic Surgery needs disposable instruments and appliances for major surgeries on children with grave hematological and oncological diseases. Many children with these illnesses have to undergo serious surgical intenventions with splenectomy or partial removal of small intestine. These organs have large vessels, which can be quickly and efficiently dissected and ligated using a LigaSure apparatus, purchased for the Department of Endoscopic Surgery by your charitable foundation. Thanks to this help, all major surgeries on abdominal organs are now performed at our department using this apparatus, in compliance with international standards.
But the LigaSure apparatus requires the use of disposable add-on devices introduced directly into the abdominal cavity. Without such devices, a surgery involves a higher risk of bleeding, which is dangerous for a child with blood problems. Recycling of such devices is impossible, and they are very expensive. In addition, to perform our surgeries, we need disposable containers, which will allow us to extract organs through incisions with a length no more than 1 cm."
The total cost of disposable containers and instruments needed by the department at present (12 positions in the list) is 522,189 roubles ($21,315). We hope for your help!

7.02.2008 Some news about orphan patients of our hospital.
Yulia K. from Gorno-Altaisk has arrived for follow-up treatment. So far we don't know how long she will stay at hospital.
Olya B-na is getting prepared for her next serious operation at the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery. More than six months have passed since the removal of her distractor. Over this period, the girl has been going through orthodontic treatment. The girl is wearing braces. It is very difficult to form the right occlusion in her case, but, fortunately, the results of the treatment are positive.

5.02.2008 Ksenia Lisinskaya needs help again, this time to pay for radiation therapy.

4.02.2008 We are publishing our summarized report on the work of the You Are Not Alone in 2007. Last year, 88 orphans from 34 different regions of the Russian Federation received treatment at the Russian Children's Clinical Hospital. Continued...

On January 29, two clowns visited our House of Hope cottage for patients receiving out-patient treatment. They were our hospital clown Konstantin and a guest from Belorussia, clown Antoshka.
All cottage inhabitants, including children of all ages and their mothers, had a very good time and even participated in the show themselves liked real comic actors. The children received traditional balloons as presents, and the clowns promised to come there once more. See photographs: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

3.02.2008 We are finishing the fundraising for the benefit of Zhenya Eretnikov. An anonymous contributor has paid for the Dospekhi (Armor) orthopedic system worth 85,450 roubles ($3490).

2.02.2008 We again ask you to help Maxim Zhitinev. After a consultation in November, the German physicians have come to a decision on the technique of future surgery. It will cost 35,000 euro. Next week, the boy and his mother are to arrive at the clinic. Let us help Maxim overcome the consequences of his grave injury.

1.02.2008 Vitalik Sotnikov and his mother have come back to Moscow from Munich. At first the German doctors thought that they would perform two surgeries during this visit to Germany and thus complete Vitalik's treatment. However, later they decided it would be more reliable to perform these surgeries with a break between them. So Vitalik's final surgery is yet to take place. He will go to Munich in the beginning of March. But most medical problems have been resolved. Vitalik is feeling fine and very optimistic.
The boy's mother Lyuba has brought us a letter of gratitude, which she wrote together with the boy.

29.01.2008 Some news about the orphan patients. Anya G. from Vladikavlaz has been discharged from the Department of Ophthalmology, and Alesha B. from Dmitrov has been admitted to the same department.

28.01.2008 We have summarized the financial results of the last year.
The total sum spent by the Regional Public Charity Foundation for Seriously ill and Abandoned Children in 2007 was 38,491,000 roubles ($1,571,000).
The supply of medications to the hospital in 2007 was notably higher than in earlier years. So, in addition to traditionally important expenses, such as purchase of medications and support of unrelated marrow transplantation program, the Foundation has also managed to allot significant sums for buying state-of-the-art medical equipment for various clinical and diagnostic hospital departments, maintenance of the House of Hope cottage for children receiving out-patient treatment, and construction of a new cottage for orphan patients. Continued...

25.01.2008 Some news about the orphan patients.
Vanya A. (after an examination) and Vitalik K. (after a surgery) have been discharged from the Department of Urology. Since Vitalik loves singing and dancing in public, a set of concert clothes was given to him as a present; here is a photo of the boy in this suit.
Anya G. from Vladikavkaz arrived for a consultation at the Department of Ophthalmology.
Natasha N. and Sasha K. are our new patients from the town of Dmitrov near Moscow.

23.01.2008 Dr. A.V. Myzin, who heads the Department of Endoscopic Surgery, again asks for our help in purchasing the necessary equipment: the department needs an electronic endoscopic carbon dioxide desufflator of model 26430502 (Karl Storz, Germany) worth 104,073 roubles ($4248). Continued....

22.01.2008 We thank all benefactors for quick response and help in purchasing an oxygen concentrator and sterilizer for Alina Kalinskaya.

19.01.2008 Some news about orphan patients of our hospital.
Three boys were admitted to the Department of Urology for an examination. They are Vanya A. (2 years old), Vitalik K. (3 years old), both from the Belgorod region, and tiny Denis R. (2 months old) from the Ivanovo region.
Alesha K. was discharged from hospital and went home, to the Ivanovo region.

18.01.2007 The total sum spent by the Regional Public Charity Foundation for purchasing medications, equipment, consumables and paying for examinations and medical services in December 2007 was 2,037,173.3 roubles ($83,150). Continued...
Just as ever, private sponsors helped us a lot during the last month: Roman bought Carniten, Aminoven, Sandostatin, Fortum, Tavegyl, and Suprastin worth a total of 55,004 roubles ($2245) for the Department of Abdominal Surgery; Maxim and Vladimir bought Farmorubicin and Vepesid worth 2 x 29,035 roubles (2 x $1085) for the Department of Oncology.
Anna and her friends the Infinum holding company brought Libero diapers for orphan patients.
Dear friends, thank you for your help!

17.01.2008 Sergei Yu. Semykin, Head of the Department of Medical Genetics, has asked for urgent help in purchasing an oxygen concentrator for Alina Kalinskaya, a patient of this department.

16.01.2008 We have completed the fundraising for donor search and stem cell harvesting for the treatment of Stas Andryukov and Liza Pugacheva. The sum raised for Liza is 285,405 roubles ($11,649), which is less than necessary. The sum raised for Stas is 758,650 roubles ($30,965), including 540,000 roubles ($22,040) transferred by the administration of the town of Taiga, where the boy lives. The excess sum raised for Stas will be readdressed to Liza. The money required for donor search, that is, 5000 euro for each child, have already been transferred to the account of the Stefan Morsch Foundation, and search has been started. The remaining part of the sum (10,000 euro for stem cell harvesting) will be transferred after the donors are found.
We also remove the story of Milena L-na from the first page of our site. The girl is still at our hospital, but the expensive part of the treatment seems to be over.

Denis Soldatenkov has received the necessary examination: capsule colonoscopy. The reason for the child's grave condition was discovered at last: anomaly of part of the intestines. Soon the physicians will decide on the necessity and possible time of surgical intervention.
Thank you for your help, which was provided to these children so quickly!

15.01.2008 Vitalik Sotnikov and his mother are in Munich again. We hope that the third reconstructive surgery will be successful. In this case, it will be the end of the two-year struggle for the boy's life. We thank Sergei, who handed $25,000 to Vitalik's mother so that she could pay for the third stage of the treatment. We thank Masha, who always helps the Sotnikovs during their visits to Germany, organizing their departures and arrivals at the airport and providing them with a translator.

14.01.2008 After the next stage of his treatment, Ruslan S. was discharged from the Department of Microvascular Surgery. He is to arrive here again in November.

10.01.2008 The Divine Christmas Liturgy took place in the hospital church yesterday. After the service, there was a theater show with creche, and the children themselves were allowed to participate in it.
 

9.01.2008 Some news about the orphan patients of our hospital.
Before the holidays, Katya M. was discharged from the Department of Nephrology and Zhenya O. from the Department of Endocrinology. The administration of Zhenya's orphanage has sent us a letter of thanks.

8.01.2008 A wonderful calendar with drawings by our young artists was prepared for New Year 2008.

We thank Maria Bulgakova, who ensured the publication of this calendar with wonderful design and high typographic quality.

30.12.2007

Dear friends, thank you for being together with us during the last year. Your help always came in time. No matter how difficult the situation was, you were always near whenever necessary. We wish a happy New Year to you, your families, and to all children whom you have helped!