Vasilii Ryabkov

We live in the Novgorod region. My three children and myself. We are in a very difficult financial situation: I raise my children all by myself, having only part-time job as a teacher at a school which will soon be closed... But our greatest pain is Vasilii's condition. My son, who is 16 now, has been getting treatment at various maxillofacial medical facities since birth. Cleft lip, cleft gums, cleft palate, nose deformation ("as if from a meat grinder," one of the physicians said). He has undergone a number of surgeries in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Nizhni Novgorod, and other cities. As a result, he has hypotension, weakness, low weight, feeling of fatigue, and other problems.
Before the next surgery, orthodontic treatment is necessary. But I, with my low income, just cannot provide it to my son.
Every mother wants her son to be like other people. But so far Vasilii can only dream of this happy future. He pulls his cap down so that nobody could see his nose. He hides behind my back when we go out together. Sometimes he is on the verge of tears when he hears humiliating words from other people. He knows that much can be done to his face, but we just cannot afford it. We have never asked anybody for help, but now there are no ways out.
Please help my son have a normal life. Or at least as close to normal as possible!

With hope and respect,
Vasilii's mother,
March 26, 2009

The doctor's comment

Vasilii Ryabkov, 16 years old, a patient of the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, needs financial help for orthodontic treatment. The child should get treatment using a nonremovable orthodontic appliance and braces. The total cost is 60,000 roubles (about $1750).

Head of the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery
Prof. A.V. Lopatin

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