A Joyful Spirit
Last week Lena was blessed to meet Tatiana T. and her son Alexy. We accepted Tetiana into our program about a month ago.
Tatiana is 57 years old, and her son is 24 years old. When Alexy was six months old, a pediatrician prescribed him excessive antibiotics right after he was vaccinated to treat his bronchitis. This mixture made him motionless—he stopped swallowing. Tatiana says, “The only sign of his life was breathing.”
As soon as Tatiana's husband heard about their son's condition, he left the family. He said, “I did not plan to have another child.” Tatiana's daughter is 12 years older than Alexy. She lives and works abroad and is unable to help the family. Alexy's father supported the child financially for the first year only.
Tatiana has done an amazing job teaching her son basic skills, yet his brain is that of a three-year-old child. She invited teachers to their small apartment to work with Alexy. She says, “Out of all the teachers, there was only one who believed in his success.” And it was that very teacher who taught Alexy to read (in Ukrainian, Russian, and English!) and write! Tatiana says her boy's handwriting is absolutely beautiful. The only activity Alexy can do on his own is changing the TV channels—he loves to watch cartoons. Lena asked Tatiana, “You are with Alexy 24/7. Is there anything you can do by yourself and for yourself?” Her answer was sad, “I can do cooking and sometimes reading, that is all. If I do other things around the house, Alexy gets very aggressive and may attack. When I go to a restroom, it is usually timed. He just cannot stay on his own.” Lena asked if she can do some work when he sleeps. Tatiana replied, “I am happy when he can sleep at least five hours at night.” They have tried different medications but they do not seem to work. Tatiana can rarely take Alexy out. “We do grocery shopping together. As for other places: I never know when he will get bored and is ready to leave.”
There are many more things we could tell you about Alexy, but we want to note a few things. Alexy receives about $70 of monthly support from the state. Tatiana receives nothing. At times (not regularly), they are helped by different believers.
Tatiana is a Christian, and Lena was deeply impressed by her joyful spirit. What a committed mother she is!
We agreed to meet with Tatiana and Alexy once a month in the MMK office. This time we gave them food vouchers and a handmade blanket from America. Tatiana is very thankful!
