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Nastya - News update - May 2008 |
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Dear
Friends
I am
writing with some very happy news about
Nastya and her Mum. Over the past two
years, since we first started fund
raising for Nastya’s medical treatment
we have tried to keep you up to date
with how she is getting on by sending
newsletters and photographs. You have
been more than generous and we are so
very, very grateful. |
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Things, though, have changed a
lot since May last year. You
will recall that there were such
positive reports from the Great
Ormond Street team that thought
was being given to starting
surgery on Nastya’s hands. We
were beginning to plan for
further trips for assessment and
treatment.
However
fate intervened! Last year I
had a weekend commitment away
from home so arranged for Nastya
and her Mum (Alyona) to stay
with the Founding Director of
the Charity in Cardiff where, at
a visit to a children’s farm
park, she met the young farmer
who owned the business and they
fell in love! |
‘Anastasia’(Nastya) on her 6th
birthday |
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The
Welsh farmer subsequently visited Alyona
and her parents in Russia, and in July,
with parental blessing, Alyona and
Nastya returned to Wales where both
flourished. Nothing could be better
than the open air and a healthy diet.
Alyona began working on the farm,
working long hours and enjoying every
minute of it; while Nastya was enrolled
at a school in Wales in a class of only
10. She was immediately accepted there
and is now the only fully bi-lingual
child in her class, speaking English
with the most beautiful Welsh accent!
Welsh farmer clearly adores her and
talks proudly of her progress since she
has been at the farm. She is healthy,
strong and so well integrated. Her skin
is clearer than we have ever known it
and she has not had any chest infections
or the constant fluey colds to which she
so regularly became victim in Minsk.
The school photo above gives some idea
of how she has progressed. |
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A lot of
immigration red tape was needed but
everything was done ‘by the book’ and
the couple obtained official permission
to marry on 17 May. It was such a very
happy occasion and there were lots of
photos which we will put on the website. |
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Nastya’s health currently is
being monitored privately, free
of charge, by local specialists
in Cardiff in consultation with
Great Ormond Street. I am not
sure yet but there may now be
entitlement to NHS treatment but
the rules on this keep
changing. Whatever the
regulations Nastya continues to
need very specialist health
care. Her hands will need
attention sooner rather than
later and major, extremely
expensive, surgery will be
required on her skull in 3 or 4
years time.
In view of the uncertainty we
have ring fenced the fund and
temporarily stopped fund raising
for Nastya’s treatment. During
the 3 years we have raised the
magnificent sum of £15,135
(excluding gift aid of £2,278).
We have spent £8,272 on her
treatment so far leaving a
balance of £6,863. It means
that we have spent approximately
55% of the total. |
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When the situation in respect of
future funding of treatment is
clear it will be published on
the web site. When that happens
we will write again to offer a
choice between returning
approximately 45% of your
donation, or for the balance to
be transferred to other
individual children whose
details you can read about on
the website or you can phone or
write to me. These, though, are
also children who have very
special needs and have been
abandoned by their parents. |
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Of
necessity this has been a very truncated
and edited version of events. Please do
feel free to phone or make contact
asking for more detail. We are so very
grateful for your wonderfully generous
support for all our needy children and
would be only too happy to talk to you
if you would like to know more.
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I wish you all peace and
happiness.
Warmest regards
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